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I need a recommendation for essentially a desktop replacement. I travel for work a lot and need something powerful to take with me. Computer used for the following reasons: 1. CFD/Mechanical Drawing and Rendering 2. Different simulations 3. Video games Willing to spend up to 1800-2000 USD with tax (Ontario so 13%). Would like something that isn't gimmicky i.e. alienware and stuff like that.
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Nov 27, 2013 18:50
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I've been following this thread for the past 2-3 months and my selection has jumped from T430 to XPS 12 to Yoga 11s to finally end up on the Yoga 2 Pro. There's this Intel Core i5-4200U/128GB SSD/8GB RAM/Windows 8.1 at the local FutureShop and it's the only model that has some kind of discount (-$50), ending up at $1150 CAD (just shy of $1100 USD). I think I'm going to go with this one since my other options are: - Substact $50 for the 4GB RAM model. - Add $150 for the 256GB SSD/8GB RAM model. - Add $250 for the i7-4500U/256GB SSD/8GB RAM model. I'm not interested in the i7 model but I'm worried about the 128GB SSD. How much space is left after the Windows 8.1 install? I own a HTPC/storage where all my files go to die so I'm not too worried about raw space but I've had a Netbook in the past on which I had to micromanage every single file/installation in order to have it run smoothly. I just don't want to underestimate how quickly Windows installs will use up space in the next 3-4-5 years. Also, what's the difference between a capacitive stylus and an active-digitizer stylus or whatever they're called? I ask this because now I'm looking at Thinkpad Yogas and I'm back into the hesitation spiral! I would love to be able to take handwritten notes or draw directly on PowerPoints/PDFs when I'm in class. Will the Y2P be able to handle it or do I need to go to the Thinkpad Yoga? You probably have guessed by now that I don't want to make a bad decision with this laptop so here are my criteria. I hope you can confirm my choice of the Yoga 2 Pro.  - IPS screen with great resolution for its size. - SSD. - Haswell. - Will last a decent while. - Gimmick detachable screen/tablet folding thing for when I'm on the couch and don't want to bother with the keyboard. This is also where using a stylus would be pretty cool, so I can jot down quick notes on what to study and all that. I'll run the occasional Photoshop, emulators, Netflix, MAYBE Steam indie games, and then the daily Office, browsing and whatnot. I've bolded the important questions, the rest is just  . Thanks!
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Nov 27, 2013 18:53
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First of all, thanks for the work you guys put into this thread. I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I'm cutting my cable TV service and I just want a cheap but sufficient computer to hook up to my TV. Would a laptop fill this roll? I guess I'm most worried about heat-issues if it's constantly playing video. Here are my requirements: 1. It needs to run XBMC efficiently with little lag and no buffering while playing my HD media content from the harddrive. 2. It needs to be at least reasonably small so I don't have a massive desktop PC in my living room. 3. It needs to be connected wirelessly to the internet so that I can stream MLB.tv and Netflix, etc. 4. Connect to the TV through HDMI. Would this be more than sufficient? http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-15-3521/pd?oc=ni15ov_ft_h201e&model_id=inspiron-15-3521 Is a laptop kind of a dumb idea for this purpose? Those micro computers like the Intel NUC seem more expensive by the time you add ram and a HDD. Is the laptop overkill? Is there a cheaper solution? Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks goons! CountingCrows fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 19:14
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I'm a bit worried my previous post got a bit caught in between college laptop discussion. Anyway, I've been pointed towards the Asus N56 line for a new laptop, more specifically the Asus N56VB-S4062H among others in that line. They seem to match my requirements fairly well even if they're not Haswells. As stated before, use includes light development and Photoshop stuff, gaming(Source and some more recent stuff, nothing intensive though), webbrowsing, videos and all that. A hard requirement is a screen resolution higher than 1366x768 and a reasonable price(around €900) Unfortunately most of the stuff I come across has that resolution, and higher-res screens tend to require a premium or come with integrated graphics. I was originally looking for a 13" model due to being used to that because of my Macbook, but I can handle 15" too. I'm looking for something that'll last me a few years. Decent battery life would also be nice. Also, my supplier can't hook me up with a Lenovo Y410p which doesn't seem to exist here, or a Y510p.
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Nov 27, 2013 19:29
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CountingCrows posted:Here are my requirements: You don't need a laptop, you just need the guts of a laptop! Definitely get an Intel NUC: http://www.newegg.com/Intel-Mini-Booksize-Barebone-Systems/BrandSubCat/ID-1157-309?Tpk=intel%20nuc I think if you look at some of the cheaper options you can get a better system than a super cheapo laptop for a comparable price. Naffer fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 19:35
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internet inc posted:Also, what's the difference between a capacitive stylus and an active-digitizer stylus or whatever they're called? I ask this because now I'm looking at Thinkpad Yogas and I'm back into the hesitation spiral! I would love to be able to take handwritten notes or draw directly on PowerPoints/PDFs when I'm in class. Will the Y2P be able to handle it or do I need to go to the Thinkpad Yoga? CountingCrows posted:Is a laptop kind of a dumb idea for this purpose? Those micro computers like the Intel NUC seem more expensive by the time you add ram and a HDD. XBMC runs on Linux, right? If you get that laptop, you're paying for a bunch of stuff that you're not using. You can get a better, smaller machine if you go the NUC route. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856102053 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231215 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106162 Those add up to $342 before getting a hard drive.
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Nov 27, 2013 19:40
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That or a Chromecast. Or a Roku box I would start with a $35 chromecast HDMI dongle, and if that doesn't work upgrade to a NUC ($300) Or you could get a chromebook for $300 as well, which is basically an oversized Chromecast.
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Nov 27, 2013 19:41
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internet inc posted:How much space is left after the Windows 8.1 install? If you're going to want to have it for at least a couple years, I would recommend bumping up to 256GB. For that model, I found these (which sound right, though I've filled mine up with a bunch of junk since getting it): C: 220GB total, 196GB free D: 4GB total (Lenovo drivers) Other partitions: Recovery: 11.54GB Recovery: 1GB OEM Partition: 1GB EFI Partition: 250MB Hopefully someone here has the 128GB and can chime in, but I expect C: will be down to maybe ~70-80GB, something like that? You can probably get some space back from that recovery partition, if you feel comfortable killing it. For some perspective, the previous generation Yoga 13 with 128GB SSD, after fixing the wonky partition scheme it shipped with, ended up with a C: drive with ~100GB total and ~70GB free.
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Nov 27, 2013 19:56
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I can verify when I get home but I am pretty sure my 11s with a 128gb has about 70gb after Windows and recovery partitions.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:01
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I can't believe how excited I am about the Jeb campaign!
H5N1 fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:06
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internet inc posted:How much space is left after the Windows 8.1 install? internet inc posted:Also, what's the difference between a capacitive stylus and an active-digitizer stylus or whatever they're called? H5N1 posted:What's the catch? It's an HP, I guess.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:19
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H5N1 posted:I'm shopping for high-end ultrabooks and have been getting my nerd on using a spreadsheet to track all my options because no one laptop has all the options I want (I'm very picky). I think it came out pretty recently. At that resolution you are likely to have to deal with the same spotty program-specific DPI scaling issues that Yoga 2 Pro users have, but without the fallback of being able to run at half the vertical and horizontal resolution (1600x900 for the Y2P). You should definitely compare it to the Sony Vaio Pro 13, Yoga 2 Pro, and the Dell XPS 13.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:23
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Got my T440s here in Canada. I'll do a good review later. For now, let me wax poetic on the E531 that I'm setting up for a client. Holy poo poo the touchpad on the E531 is floppy. Which is weird because I think it's the exact same touchpad as my T440s' It looks and feels kind of cheap. Full sized keyboard is definitely not my thing. Definitely put off by the looks of the thing. It may yet be a good machine though, I dunno. I'm just glad I don't have to take it home. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:24
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internet inc posted:I've been following this thread for the past 2-3 months and my selection has jumped from T430 to XPS 12 to Yoga 11s to finally end up on the Yoga 2 Pro. I would take the upgrade. It costs $200+ to buy a 240/256gb SSD yourself, so this is the rare case where an upgrade actually saves you money.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:25
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I can't believe how excited I am about the Jeb campaign!
H5N1 fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:26
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H5N1 posted:I'm shopping for high-end ultrabooks and have been getting my nerd on using a spreadsheet to track all my options because no one laptop has all the options I want (I'm very picky). Yoga 2 Pro configured the same with a 3200x1800 display is $1200 from Best Buy, if that's an option. Does that HP have a backlit keyboard? Photos make it look like maybe not. Without reviews, the keyboard and trackpad quality is also an unknown.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:35
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Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:A capacitive stylus simulates a finger and don't really do a better job than one. An inductive stylus requires an additional layer in the screen that the stylus interacts with, but is much more accurate and also provides pressure information (some capacitive ones do this, but they transfer the pressure information via bluetooth). The former would be what is used with the Yoga 2 Pro and latter used with Surface 2 Pro or Thinkpad Yoga? Any other devices? I'm thinking about sticking with the Y2P and using my Wacom tablet with it. You do need an extra device and you don't exactly see where you're drawing but I don't think I'm going to use a stylus very often in the first place. Plus, I can't find any brick and mortar stores that carry the Thinkpad Yoga in Canada. RVProfootballer posted:If you're going to want to have it for at least a couple years, I would recommend bumping up to 256GB. For that model, I found these (which sound right, though I've filled mine up with a bunch of junk since getting it): That's $150 for an extra 128GB and I'm not exactly sure I can justify that much money unless you're telling me that my OS is going to double in size in 4-5 years. I will no doubt get rid of the recovery partition as well as the other useless ones. I don't mind being limited in files I can carry, as I'm hoping to keep my laptop free of too many distractions [insert college chat here]. What worries me is the OS.  Ugh. Basically, I want to listen to you but my wallet (and girlfriend) aren't going to like it!EDIT: Oops. Let me catch up with the replies up there. Took too long to post I guess. mobby_6kl posted:I recently installed 8.1 on my T61, and subtracting some data that I already loaded, the system needs around 12-13 gigs, apparently. So yeah, that leaves plenty of space even on an 80GB hard drive as long as you don't need too much space for your data. My work T520 with a 160GB SSD feels pretty tight, however, and is constantly around 80% full. 12-13 gigs is encouraging. Like I said, there won't be any files except for school notes, PDFs, and some doodads. Which current laptops have active digitizers and a detachable/flip/fold touchscreen gimmick? Surface 2 Pro and Thinkpad Yoga? Aphrodite posted:I would take the upgrade. It costs $200+ to buy a 240/256gb SSD yourself, so this is the rare case where an upgrade actually saves you money. Seeing both sides here! Thanks for the input. internet inc fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:36
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I can't believe how excited I am about the Jeb campaign!
H5N1 fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:41
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H5N1 posted:I'm not sure what this means. We have ~1000 HP ProBooks being used at work and they've been pretty sturdy machines from what I've seen. ProBooks and Elitebooks are a different kind of HP (the decent and/or good kind) than their consumer lines.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:42
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^^^ E: Yeah that's pretty much what I meant. H5N1 posted:
The rest of the HP lineup has a bit more... questionable reputation that the Elite/Pro-books, at least anecdotally. That was supposed to be a semi-serious expression of that.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:43
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internet inc posted:That's $150 for an extra 128GB and I'm not exactly sure I can justify that much money unless you're telling me that my OS is going to double in size in 4-5 years. I will no doubt get rid of the recovery partition as well as the other useless ones. I don't mind being limited in files I can carry, as I'm hoping to keep my laptop free of too many distractions [insert college chat here]. What worries me is the OS. Well, you know best what you plan to do with it. My previous laptop had a 128GB SSD, and it was just ok. After installing Word, a few programs for work (a couple GB each), my Dropbox, a few selected folders synced from Box.com, and 1-2 games on Steam, I was down to ~20GB. I've read that you should try to keep at least 20% of your SSD free or things start to deteriorate (not sure how noticeably, though), which put me effectively at the limit. No, Windows isn't going to grow dramatically in the next few years, but the things you want to do with your laptop and store on it (programs, stuff you're actively working on, etc., not long term storage) probably will!
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Nov 27, 2013 20:45
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internet inc posted:Also, what's the difference between a capacitive stylus and an active-digitizer stylus or whatever they're called? I ask this because now I'm looking at Thinkpad Yogas and I'm back into the hesitation spiral! I would love to be able to take handwritten notes or draw directly on PowerPoints/PDFs when I'm in class. Will the Y2P be able to handle it or do I need to go to the Thinkpad Yoga? I haven't seen this covered but another big difference for active digitizers is that it will track even without touching the screen, which makes it far more analogous to a mouse since you can move and hover just by holding the point near the screen.
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Nov 27, 2013 20:54
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I can't believe how excited I am about the Jeb campaign!
H5N1 fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Nov 27, 2013 20:57
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oxy posted:I need a recommendation for essentially a desktop replacement. I travel for work a lot and need something powerful to take with me. Anything more powerful than a Y410p/Y510p is probably going to be gimmicky. They have good processing power and a pretty great GPU, should be sufficient for your purposes. These models will handle basically any game at pretty good graphical settings. If you feel the need for more GPU power and don't mind buying a cooling pad or something then you also have the option of SLI graphics for not much more. The whole package should run you less than $1000 if you use the B&N link in the OP during a sale (which occur every week or every other week). The Y410p is 14" at 1600x900, the Y510p is 15.6" at 1920x1080, I don't know whether you'd prefer something larger for drawing and rendering purposes
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Nov 27, 2013 21:17
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Martytoof posted:Got my T440s here in Canada. I'll do a good review later. For now, let me wax poetic on the E531 that I'm setting up for a client.
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Nov 27, 2013 21:22
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Are Yoga 2 Pro SSDs swappable? I agree that 128 GB might be too small but will I be able to change it 1 or 2 years down the road when SSDs are more affordable? I remember reading that the RAM is soldered in but that's about it.
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Nov 27, 2013 22:05
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internet inc posted:Are Yoga 2 Pro SSDs swappable? I agree that 128 GB might be too small but will I be able to change it 1 or 2 years down the road when SSDs are more affordable? This post claims it's just an mSATA drive https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Idea-Windows-based-Tablets-and/Does-anyone-know-if-the-ssd-within-YOGA-2-pro-is-replaceable/td-p/1298061
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Nov 27, 2013 22:19
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I'm not entirely sure what this means when it comes to upgrading it. 
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Nov 27, 2013 22:24
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MSATA is a standard user replaceable ssd hard drive that uses a slot similar to a mini-PCI slot. Any laptop that has one, once you can get the case open, should be completely replaceable. Due to their small size they tend to be buried deep in the laptop
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Nov 27, 2013 22:29
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internet inc posted:I'm not entirely sure what this means when it comes to upgrading it.  You can buy them from NewEgg etc
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Nov 27, 2013 23:00
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They're adorable but not all that common.
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Nov 27, 2013 23:01
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Decent ones seem to be Intel's 525 and 530. The Plextor M5M also seems to be a decent mSATA SSD. Should probably go check the SSD thread, though.
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Nov 28, 2013 00:25
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I need a basic, cheap and reliable laptop that I can plug into my grandfather's screen and keyboard and act as his desktop - I have to carry it internationally, so no actual desktop and it's impossible to find a nettop in Oz. Which brand is best for that. Does it really matter? I'd get a chromebook if they could use USB printers.
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Nov 28, 2013 00:29
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Kreez posted:Can you check something quickly for me on the T440s. In the trackpoint driver options, can you change the middle mouse button behaviour? In older Thinkpads you could select between "scroll", "magnify", and "neither". In my Thinkpad Yoga they have removed this feature, which is a deal breaker. I need a middle mouse button! I'm in the middle of reloading windows 8 to replace win7 but I will definitely let you know once I install trackpoint drivers. edit: OK I have some bad news for you. I don't see anywhere where I can select what MMB does. I just see that it exists. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Nov 28, 2013 |
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Nov 28, 2013 01:32
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Thanks to you fine folks of the Laptop Megathread I now own a Yoga 2 Pro i5/128/8! I understand that mSATA drives might not be all that common, but I have hopes that in a year or two, prices will go down enough to upgrade if necessary! I might be passing up on a good deal, but it never hurts to spread spendings over a certain period of time. This has been discussed before but I'm not entirely sure what's the best way of making a fresh Windows 8.1 install. Get the CD-Key from the BIOS and torrent and .ISO, while making sure the .ISO matches whatever the key is for? Hassle Lenovo to get an installer dongle? Scream until the bloatware goes away?
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Nov 28, 2013 02:51
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You know, I really appreciate Lenovo including recovery media with my T440s, but somehow I think I would appreciate it more if they gave me the option of paying them like $10 extra to give it to me on USB or something so I could actually use it without having to go buy an external DVD drive :|
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Nov 28, 2013 04:56
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For $500, would this Inspiron 15 be a solid deal? I dunno about the build quality, but it does come with an i5-4200U, which is a big plus.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:29
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I could use a recommendation. The screen cracked on my older laptop, this one, and the wireless card will now only connect to one router. I could use some suggestions for an upgrade-ish machine since now seems like a good time to shop. After reading the OP I was looking at this Lenovo and this Asus. Neither has the suggested 4th gen intel so I'm questioning my choices. I more watch TV shows/movies, edit non HD stuff, play some games, bought Borderlands 2 a year ago when steam had it for like 12 bucks and I'd love to be able to play it finally at more than 1 FPS on any setting. With Windows 8 I'd prefer a touchscreen, but I'm not married to that part. Hoping to not really go too far above $650 or so. Amazon is slightly preferred as my mom has to return a laptop there anyway. Vendor's aside anybody have any suggestions?
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Nov 28, 2013 08:30
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I'm in the market for a middle-of-the-road laptop to replace my turd of a Dell Studio 15 or whatever the hell it's called that I bought like 7 years ago and hated almost every minute of. Requirement #1: It's not a dell 2: I don't give a rip about touchscreen - I just need pretty basic. 3: Does anybody put firewire on anything anymore? I have a Presonus Firestudio Project that I would like to use with it. 4: Hey if it doesn't have firewire hopefully it'll at least have a slot for me to plug in a firewire expresscard, right? Right?? 5: If it can at least play pinball FX via steam while I'm bored as gently caress on coast-to-coast flights that's an added bonus. 6: Dear god Win7 not Win8 please. x2Does a machine that would fit that bill in the $550-800 range exist? I don't need anything crazy. Thanks fellers.
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Nov 28, 2013 10:12
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Hold on there; Windows 8 is basically Windows 7 with a bunch of improvements under the hood and a dumb UI plastered on top of the old UI. Don't like Metro? No problem, it takes about 20 seconds to download a thing to patch it out I'm pretty sure nobody puts firewire ports on anything anymore, not even Apple. What the gently caress is a firewire express card? Do you need some serial ports, too?
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Nov 28, 2013 10:35
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