Laptop for college, $2000 budget, never bought one before
34 replies, posted
As the title suggests, I'm in the market for a laptop for college. I've always relied on my desktop for everything and my phone for anything away from home, so I've never actually bought a laptop before.
Now that Windows 10 laptops are available to pre-order, I think it's the right time to buy. I'm going for a communications degree (media studies and production), so I need something that can handle programs such as Photoshop, After Effects, etc. I also play games.
Brand wise, I get discounts on Dell, HP and Lenovo products through work. That's about it, I've been building PC's for years, but I know next to nothing about what to look for in a laptop.
For 2,000$ you cannot settle for less than a 240GB SSD in addition to 2TB HDD, and a GTX 980M
Dell/HP are shit, and with your budget you don't need a discount.
What screen size are you looking for? Are you alright with a big 10+ pound desk weight or do you want something more mobile?
Lenovo likes putting malware on their laptops so I'd probably avoid that
Is a $500 laptop and a $1500 ITX desktop not an option? There's pros and cons to all of these.
I've been using an HP Envy for the last 2 years of college and hope to replace it within a year, I would say you can get a fairly high-tier laptop for under $1500 (my budget). A lot depends on what you want in it, what games you play and how you want it to look. I'm a business student so having a gaudy Alienware is a huge turn-off for me. Also, how often would you take it to campus? Mine needs to fit in my backpack, which has kept me away from 17.3" displays, but I don't take it enough to care about weight. On that same note, how long would it need to be away from the charger? Also consider storage, I don't know how much a typical media student needs.
[QUOTE=Levelog;48141815]What screen size are you looking for? Are you alright with a big 10+ pound desk weight or do you want something more mobile?[/QUOTE]
I'm looking for something more mobile, while still packing some power (hence the budget). I expect to be moving around a lot, and I've got a better display, speakers, etc setup in my dorm.
[QUOTE=Levelog;48141822]Is a $500 laptop and a $1500 ITX desktop not an option? There's pros and cons to all of these.[/QUOTE]
That really depends on how often he wants to return home and if he flies. I return for winter/summer break (I have a reliable job here) and wouldn't want to haul a desktop back and forth (though I do have a monitor).
[QUOTE=Amfleet;48141897]That really depends on how often he wants to return home and if he flies. I return for winter/summer break (I have a reliable job here) and wouldn't want to haul a desktop back and forth (though I do have a monitor).[/QUOTE]
Pretty much this. I've got a nice desktop already at home, but I intend to keep it there and let my family use it. I'm going to be on the move a lot and don't want to be restricted.
[QUOTE=bitches;48141794]For 2,000$ you cannot settle for less than a 240GB SSD in addition to 2TB HDD, and a GTX 980M
Dell/HP are shit, and with your budget you don't need a discount.[/QUOTE]
Where can you pull that off for $2000? Is that just an American thing because on newegg.ca for example I the absolute cheapest laptop you can get with a 980m at all is $2000 and it definitely doesn't come with a 2tb hdd and ssd
[QUOTE=Elspin;48141927]Where can you pull that off for $2000? Is that just an American thing because on newegg.ca for example I the absolute cheapest laptop you can get with a 980m at all is $2000 and it definitely doesn't come with a 2tb hdd and ssd[/QUOTE]
[url]http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/NX.MUYAA.003[/url]
GTX 960 though and only 1TB HDD with 240GB SSD, but the price point exists
The MSI GS series hit a good portability/performance level. They usually will have full i7's and 970m's with an SSD and HDD.
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;48142017][url]http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GT72-DOMINATOR-PRO-211-17-3-Inch/dp/B00O4ORYN4/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1436291143&sr=1-14&keywords=gtx+980m[/url]
fucking nailed it
[editline]8th July 2015[/editline]
also acer have shitty build quality
msi, asus rog > acer[/QUOTE]
That's hardly portable compared to the acer though at 8.4 lbs vs 5.29lbs and acer has really picked up their game recently in terms of build quality
I think some other good options for power without being completely bricky are:
Clevo P650 / P651SG (good display, performance, meh battery, fixes earlier clevo fan control issues, 5.6lbs)
[url]http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8652-clevo-p650sg-p-7795.html[/url]
Gigabyte P37X (thin, good performance, ok battery, 6.17lbs)
[url]http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Laptop-P37X-SI1-17-3-Inch/dp/B00SD9KFIC[/url]
Razer Blade (Expensive but lightweight, good aluminum build quality, good display, ~5 hour battery life, slightly less performance, 4.47lbs)
[url]http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade[/url] ($2000-2400 for FHD / UHD models)
MSI GS60 (Same performance as the Blade, less build quality, lighter, 3~ hours battery life, 4.2lbs)
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152815[/url]
When you say production do you mean like film and TV? Or 2D work? And what settings are you generally comfortable running games at/are you really into gaming? Or do you just play less graphically intensive games.
If you can compromise how well you can play games that'll come out 1 to 2 years in the future, you could probably find something at around $1000. Since college I've been a laptop user because I have to move around a lot, so I'm currently using a MSI one from about 2 years ago (I can still play the witcher 3 at around 30 fps so I consider it a win) that cost a little over a thousand dollars. I'd advise against spending $2000 on a laptop (or any computer I guess), since naturally they're less powerful than a desktop and the technology gets outdated quickly (like all computers, but its much harder to upgrade a laptop).
If you need something powerful for film editing, photoshop, and playing gpu or cpu intensive things and mainly just want a laptop to take notes in class, I might actually suggest getting a cheaper netbook or small 10 to 12' laptop, then just lug your desktop into your dorm. This suggestion of course depends on how far away home is and how safe you think your dorm room is. If you don't have to fly out to school then it's a more plausible suggestion.
Now in terms of laptop size, if you're going to be bringing it to and from class I would suggest against a 17" screen or larger. I don't know how uniform classrooms will be in your school, but where I went they could range from long desks where you would have enough room to put your stuff, to small flip up tables attached to seats which could barely hold an 8 X 11 sheet of paper. 13' is a good size, with 15" being borderline, but you'll get better resolution. You could always get a larger monitor if you need to for cheap.
And how big are the discounts you can get, and are you willing to shop online?
[editline]7th July 2015[/editline]
Looks like I've been super ninja'd. Heh, this is what happens when I go off to do testing for 30 minutes before posting.
[QUOTE=bitches;48141980][url]http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/NX.MUYAA.003[/url]
GTX 960 though and only 1TB HDD with 240GB SSD, but the price point exists[/QUOTE]
Not having a 980m in it is not comparable at all, getting the 980 for a reasonable price is the hard part. You can usually easily replace the drives yourself if you just need to add an ssd.
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313744[/url]
I bought this 2 years ago, no issues with it. It can't run games on max graphics but its a laptop, if I really wanted graphics I'd get an external GPU.
Honestly I wish I had spent my money on a desktop + low end small laptop. Its hard to carry this 8lb thing campus around but since I have to travel back and forth between school and home its nice to have a laptop.
[QUOTE=fishyfish777;48142133]That's hardly portable compared to the acer though at 8.4 lbs vs 5.29lbs and acer has really picked up their game recently in terms of build quality
I think some other good options for power without being completely bricky are:
Clevo P650 / P651SG (good display, performance, meh battery, fixes earlier clevo fan control issues, 5.6lbs)
[url]http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8652-clevo-p650sg-p-7795.html[/url]
Gigabyte P37X (thin, good performance, ok battery, 6.17lbs)
[url]http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Laptop-P37X-SI1-17-3-Inch/dp/B00SD9KFIC[/url]
Razer Blade (Expensive but lightweight, good aluminum build quality, good display, ~5 hour battery life, slightly less performance, 4.47lbs)
[url]http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade[/url] ($2000-2400 for FHD / UHD models)
MSI GS60 (Same performance as the Blade, less build quality, lighter, 3~ hours battery life, 4.2lbs)
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152815[/url][/QUOTE]
I'm thinking of going with the Clevo or MSI. But, question, and please don't laugh me out of here, but if I can get an Alienware 20%, should I? I don't like how they look, but they've got decent specs and I may be able to get a 20% or greater discount. I'll just feel like a tool carrying it around :v:
[QUOTE=Odellus;48146471][url]http://www.sagernotebook.com/Gaming-Notebook-NP9773-S.html[/url]
?[/QUOTE]
With the 980m option, this is probably the most powerful laptop that exists (if your PC isn't running an LGA 2011 CPU + a GTX 970 or higher, it can ACTUALLY replace your desktop), but it comes with the cost of having a 2.5 hour maximum battery life.
Also, It weighs 8.6lbs. As someone with an 8.4lb laptop, it can get annoying.
Anyways, I'd stick to either that GS60 or a GS70: [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152815[/url]
Which has the same specs and price as the GS60 with the difference being that the GS70 is 2.5 lbs heavier and has a bigger display.
how important is gaming on a laptop to you? you might consider an ultrabook
these huge ass gaming laptops with 980Ms are too fucking heavy and annoying to carry around, also make too much heat and noise and the battery life is always a joke.
for college use I would look at something like the x250 or T450s (both fully loaded are under 2000). they don't have dedicated gpus, but in return you get better build quality, keyboard, battery life (x250 has the best battery life of any laptop i think). x250 only weights like 3 lbs and has full I/O
also thinkpads have very nifty docking stations which let you easily hook them into external monitors, speakers, kb/m, etc.
normally people don't buy new thinkpads because they're pretty expensive when decked out, but in your case that doesn't really matter.
[QUOTE=bitches;48141794]For 2,000$ you cannot settle for less than a 240GB SSD in addition to 2TB HDD, and a GTX 980M
Dell/HP are shit, and with your budget you don't need a discount.[/QUOTE]
New Dell is actually good, and professional HP series are absolutely great. (Normal; HP is very meh)
[QUOTE=bitches;48141980][url]http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/NX.MUYAA.003[/url]
GTX 960 though and only 1TB HDD with 240GB SSD, but the price point exists[/QUOTE]
Acer is shit tough. Build quality is very low.
[QUOTE=taipan;48147582]
Acer is shit tough. Build quality is very low.[/QUOTE]
They also always come with over 5GB of bloatware and trash :v:
For that money, I'd go for the 1920 x 1080 Razer blade.
[QUOTE=bitches;48141794]
Dell are shit[/QUOTE]
Although I got my hands on a model that they sell in bulk to businesses only and it's absolutely built like a tank. After using it for half a decade now I just can't stand that slimline shit you see in storefronts.
Dell and HP don't screw around with their business kit. Not only that, onboard graphics will suprise you. My elitebook 2570p from 2012 can play GTA5, and it just has a HD4000.
if you've got 2k to spare, I'd get the xps 13
[QUOTE=bitches;48141794]For 2,000$ you cannot settle for less than a 240GB SSD in addition to 2TB HDD, and a GTX 980M
Dell/HP are shit, and with your budget you don't need a discount.[/QUOTE]
Consumer grade dell/hp are shit. Their more expensive non consumer lines are incredibly good. The problem is, you're comparing their 400USD as their baseline as opposed to keeping their trash tier separate from their more delux brands.
MSI Ghost.
Don't get some fuckhuge gaming laptop.
They are nothing but regret, heat, and battery issues.
You can get a refurbished macbook for $1k, and a great desktop for $1k.
The macbook will more than handle everything other than trying to render some video in realtime ( it will perform decently ), has a great screen, and will have any and all production software you would want with first party support.
Then all you need to do is sync your project folders between the two systems and you can benefit from the power of the desktop if you have a long running job to do.
If you are tech literate enough and have a dorm or fast connection at home, you can just kick your projects back to your home pc to render easily.
I used to do the same to compile software and run jobs when I used to live on campus.
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