I haven't been keeping up with Thunderbolt and USB-C developments, and I don't know which ones are capable of what. I know, for example, that USB-C Gen 1 has a max throughput of 5Gbps vs the 40Gbps of Thunderbolt Gen 3, but I don't if USB C Gen 1 can operate an extra monitor.
Would the upcoming ASUS Zenbook be capable of driving an additional monitor over USB-C Gen 1? Could it connect to USB-C or Thunderbolt docks?
Well, the Lenovo T460 has both HDMI and (Mini) Displayport, which I think makes it one of the few $800 notebooks that can drive two external displays. The i5/8GB version is $930 right now, but I think it goes on sale for less than that if you can wait (back to school sales in August might be a thing to watch).
Getting Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1(USB 3.0 doesn't really cut it for docks) in this price range is tough right now.
a5ehren on
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
So you need the displays to show different context, or mirrored?
I just ask to see if an HDMI splitter world be a cheaper option.
Alternatively, you can always try this laptop, though it doesn't have a DVD drive.
Great finds on the specs! They're a little on the heavy side for her (I'm aiming for under 3, but thinking she could carry up to 5 if that's too big an ask). She doesn't need anything larger than a 13", since she'll be working mostly on dual monitors at home or at the office. I suppose that 13" laptops don't have many ports unless we're willing to go up to a Dell XPS or MacBook, huh?
Edit: optical drives are also unnecessary. I wonder how much weight that would eliminate if we remove it...
(Also, Vanilla isn't rendering your first link correctly for me, even though it's totally fine when I copy it from your text)
@a5ehren , I have no idea if Thunderbolt 3 is even required for display over USB-C. We don't need it for anything aside from the extra monitor. Could the ASUS 306 (expected out by August) do that over USB-C Gen 1?
@MichaelLC two different displays, just a standard dual monitor station. I already have an HDMI splitter for console capture, so that's not quite what I'm after.
templewulf I took a look and found this laptop that is more bang for your buck.
Alternatively, you can always try this laptop, though it doesn't have a DVD drive.
Great finds on the specs! They're a little on the heavy side for her (I'm aiming for under 3, but thinking she could carry up to 5 if that's too big an ask). She doesn't need anything larger than a 13", since she'll be working mostly on dual monitors at home or at the office. I suppose that 13" laptops don't have many ports unless we're willing to go up to a Dell XPS or MacBook, huh?
Edit: optical drives are also unnecessary. I wonder how much weight that would eliminate if we remove it...
(Also, Vanilla isn't rendering your first link correctly for me, even though it's totally fine when I copy it from your text)
a5ehren , I have no idea if Thunderbolt 3 is even required for display over USB-C. We don't need it for anything aside from the extra monitor. Could the ASUS 306 (expected out by August) do that over USB-C Gen 1?
MichaelLC two different displays, just a standard dual monitor station. I already have an HDMI splitter for console capture, so that's not quite what I'm after.
I honestly don't know if anyone makes docks that do DP well over Gen 1. But I've never looked either.
Can someone smarter or more up to date on USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and eGPUs such as the Razer Core answer a couple of questions?
1) My understanding is the Razer Core is intended to be a universal enclosure - I take it that means it will work with any laptop with the proper port and firmware that meets the standard?
2) Are there other upcoming, cheaper enclosures? The Razer Core is 500 bucks without the card. Seems a bit much, I can just get a super laptop instead and pay the same or less.
3) Thunderbolt and USB-C are not the same correct? I think I found out what I needed on this one - they are not the same, but the Thunderbolt 3 port should work with USB-C cables/devices(and displayport cables)
For a non gamer, any opinions on Samsung ativ book 9 spin? Partner may be converting from her old ass Mac, looks ok to me, comparable to Lenovo offerings. Figured y'all would know if there was a secret bugbear in the specs.
I'm doing my research but still not really up to speed on laptops. Learning! This seems reasonable to me. After something very similar to what the above seems to offer, but perhaps a little more oomph so I can still process photos without it grinding to a halt, and have the option to be able to play a few games on Steam (obviously not expecting to be playing AAA graphics-heavy games).
Does anyone know of a laptop that is maybe the next step up from the above?
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AbsalonLands of Always WinterRegistered Userregular
edited October 2016
I'm really happy I found a laptop with QHD and a dedicated Graphics card (GTX 940M). Asus Zenbook UX310UQ. Usually you either get the big screen and integrated graphics or a nice graphics card with Full HD.
I just hope I won't regret going for 8 gigs of RAM and the i5 but I didn't feel like indulging.
Since Apple has made it clear that they've left me, it's time for me to leave them. I was waiting for their Macbook Pro update to make a move on a new laptop, and since the new version is incredibly underwhelming, I'm looking at Windows machines.
I've been reading up, and got my hands on a few different machines today, and I think I have my ideal specs in mind, but I'm having difficulty finding the computer that ticks every box.
I do 4k and 6k video production, so I need ridiculous horsepower, but portability is still something I'd like. So here's my necessary specs:
skylake i7 (the new one would be nice, but not necessary)
GTX 1060 or better
4k screen
15" is fine 32 gigs RAM (this seems to be the biggest roadblock; seems like almost everything only has 16)
a touch screen would be really nice, but not 100% necessary. Only about 90% necessary.
I can configure an Alienware to hit everything except the touch screen, but I'd prefer to not have such a "bold" looking computer. The HP options use older quadro mobile graphics, and the regular Dell XPS use the previous generation GTX graphics (but does offer touch).
So is there anything out there that ticks all of my boxes? Price isn't toooooo much of an issue because I'm used to buying $3500 Apples, but if I can keep it under $3000, that would be lovely.
don't have any models to suggest. But for the ram I would just swap down to the lowest amount they offer and then swap in 2x16G sticks yourself for about $180.
Going to be easier and probably cheaper than trying to find a manufacturer that offers it as an option.
don't have any models to suggest. But for the ram I would just swap down to the lowest amount they offer and then swap in 2x16G sticks yourself for about $180.
Going to be easier and probably cheaper than trying to find a manufacturer that offers it as an option.
32gb isn't that extraordinary. The real bear to get is all that and the touchscreen. Sager has plenty of 15" 4k IPS displays, i7-6700k, GTX 1060/1070/1080, and 32gb of RAM laptops...but none are touchscreen. Looking outside of Alienwares, XoticPC lists ASUS as having touchscreen models at 4k...but are limited to GTX 960M GPUs (which aren't going to be providing "ridiculous horsepower").
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
don't have any models to suggest. But for the ram I would just swap down to the lowest amount they offer and then swap in 2x16G sticks yourself for about $180.
Going to be easier and probably cheaper than trying to find a manufacturer that offers it as an option.
32gb isn't that extraordinary. The real bear to get is all that and the touchscreen. Sager has plenty of 15" 4k IPS displays, i7-6700k, GTX 1060/1070/1080, and 32gb of RAM laptops...but none are touchscreen. Looking outside of Alienwares, XoticPC lists ASUS as having touchscreen models at 4k...but are limited to GTX 960M GPUs (which aren't going to be providing "ridiculous horsepower").
Yeah, that's basically what I'm running into.
The "New" Razer Blade Pro ticks all the boxes, but it's not out yet, and MSRP is a thousand bucks more than all the others I'm looking at.
But then, getting one of those external GPU boxes could be a way to go as well. Get a kickass GPU that I can upgrade in there for when I'm doing the heavy lifting at my desk, and just deal with the not-cutting-edge performance when I'm working mobile.
Edit: also, it's looking like opening up some of these laptops to upgrade the RAM will void the warranty, which I definitely don't want to do on a machine I use for work.
I know someone other than Razer has those external kits but I can't remember who. MSI maybe? I feel like those are at a major price premium for more than they really need to be if those companies want serious traction.
I know someone other than Razer has those external kits but I can't remember who. MSI maybe? I feel like those are at a major price premium for more than they really need to be if those companies want serious traction.
Yeah, I was considering the Razer... Stealth? Whatever it was, I just couldn't justify the expense for the enclosure. If I can get this laptop to last through the next GPU cycle, it might be affordable enough to go that way.
The Razer eGPU box is not too poorly priced (especially after they knock off $100 when you buy it alongside a laptop).
I've seen two other eGPU boxes, and one is significantly more expensive, and one is less.
Huh! Thanks for the heads up on the discount. It's ~500USD before the coupon. It's ~1400USD for the whole bundle after discount. I'd throw on another ~250 for an SSD upgrade.
That's not too terrible, considering a Thunderbolt dock would be a few hundred on its own anyway. I'm having trouble finding the specifics on Razer's site, but: do you know if the Core supplies power over TB, and does it have audio ports?
Any recommendations on a laptop to replace an old ASUS with a 670M? Would want to keep it less than $1000, 15" screen is fine - and would like to at least get close to a 1050 Ti in performance. I have a SSD I can slap in, and can upgrade RAM after purchase.
EDIT: I should probably hold out and see what kind of offerings are coming for 1050 Ti laptops.
Sweet, several laptops announced with 1050 Ti cards at less than $1000. That means I can upgrade from my ASUS laptop with a 670M on the cheap and in the next year or two build a nice desktop rig.
One thing you need to look out for is sufficient cooling. Lots of laptops that have discreet cards don't make good use of them because they can't keep them cool enough to avoid thermal throttling.
Could it play any recent shooters (Doom, BF1) with decent settings?
Doom? At 1080p and high, it looks like the benchmarks are not in your favor: ~15fps or so. Dropping down to medium at 1366x768 will get you an average of 28fps. BF1 is a little better at 32fps at the 1366x768 medium setting.
After going through notebook check.com - I decided on the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 with the 256gb SSD. Biggest downsides were screen can be a bit dim and the key travel on the KB, but those seem minor.
So I'm in the market for a new laptop. I have a desktop with an i5 6600 and a GeForce 960. What's a good laptop that can run most of the things my desktop can reasonably well (not at the same graphical settings, of course)? Also would like one with an SSD.
Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
So I've been able to take my laptop for a spin and while I don't have any of the new new games yet. It has no problem running Planetside 2, Mechwarrior Online and SWTOR at high/ultimate settings with great FPS (didn't log/track it, but I didn't notice any slowdowns visually - so at least 30 FPS). I really like it and the SSD is heaven after only ever having platters.
Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
Dell has some laptops with 1050 Ti available.
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Thanks to recent advances in power consumption, new laptops actually have very capable graphics chips. The mobile-class chips aren't nearly as powered-down as, say, the 7xx generation chips.
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
Dell has some laptops with 1050 Ti available.
ASUS too. I've been happy with my G752 with a 970M.
Of course they released the newer ones like a week after I bought mine, but at least they were more expensive so didn't hurt quite as much.
Posts
That's an awesome deal for current gen.
Basically, the ASUS Zenbook UX305UA or Dell Inspiron 7000 but with another display port on it.
I haven't been keeping up with Thunderbolt and USB-C developments, and I don't know which ones are capable of what. I know, for example, that USB-C Gen 1 has a max throughput of 5Gbps vs the 40Gbps of Thunderbolt Gen 3, but I don't if USB C Gen 1 can operate an extra monitor.
Would the upcoming ASUS Zenbook be capable of driving an additional monitor over USB-C Gen 1? Could it connect to USB-C or Thunderbolt docks?
Alternatively, you can always try this laptop, though it doesn't have a DVD drive.
Getting Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1(USB 3.0 doesn't really cut it for docks) in this price range is tough right now.
I just ask to see if an HDMI splitter world be a cheaper option.
Great finds on the specs! They're a little on the heavy side for her (I'm aiming for under 3, but thinking she could carry up to 5 if that's too big an ask). She doesn't need anything larger than a 13", since she'll be working mostly on dual monitors at home or at the office. I suppose that 13" laptops don't have many ports unless we're willing to go up to a Dell XPS or MacBook, huh?
Edit: optical drives are also unnecessary. I wonder how much weight that would eliminate if we remove it...
(Also, Vanilla isn't rendering your first link correctly for me, even though it's totally fine when I copy it from your text)
@a5ehren , I have no idea if Thunderbolt 3 is even required for display over USB-C. We don't need it for anything aside from the extra monitor. Could the ASUS 306 (expected out by August) do that over USB-C Gen 1?
@MichaelLC two different displays, just a standard dual monitor station. I already have an HDMI splitter for console capture, so that's not quite what I'm after.
I honestly don't know if anyone makes docks that do DP well over Gen 1. But I've never looked either.
1) My understanding is the Razer Core is intended to be a universal enclosure - I take it that means it will work with any laptop with the proper port and firmware that meets the standard?
2) Are there other upcoming, cheaper enclosures? The Razer Core is 500 bucks without the card. Seems a bit much, I can just get a super laptop instead and pay the same or less.
3) Thunderbolt and USB-C are not the same correct? I think I found out what I needed on this one - they are not the same, but the Thunderbolt 3 port should work with USB-C cables/devices(and displayport cables)
I'm doing my research but still not really up to speed on laptops. Learning! This seems reasonable to me. After something very similar to what the above seems to offer, but perhaps a little more oomph so I can still process photos without it grinding to a halt, and have the option to be able to play a few games on Steam (obviously not expecting to be playing AAA graphics-heavy games).
Does anyone know of a laptop that is maybe the next step up from the above?
I just hope I won't regret going for 8 gigs of RAM and the i5 but I didn't feel like indulging.
Since Apple has made it clear that they've left me, it's time for me to leave them. I was waiting for their Macbook Pro update to make a move on a new laptop, and since the new version is incredibly underwhelming, I'm looking at Windows machines.
I've been reading up, and got my hands on a few different machines today, and I think I have my ideal specs in mind, but I'm having difficulty finding the computer that ticks every box.
I do 4k and 6k video production, so I need ridiculous horsepower, but portability is still something I'd like. So here's my necessary specs:
skylake i7 (the new one would be nice, but not necessary)
GTX 1060 or better
4k screen
15" is fine
32 gigs RAM (this seems to be the biggest roadblock; seems like almost everything only has 16)
a touch screen would be really nice, but not 100% necessary. Only about 90% necessary.
I can configure an Alienware to hit everything except the touch screen, but I'd prefer to not have such a "bold" looking computer. The HP options use older quadro mobile graphics, and the regular Dell XPS use the previous generation GTX graphics (but does offer touch).
So is there anything out there that ticks all of my boxes? Price isn't toooooo much of an issue because I'm used to buying $3500 Apples, but if I can keep it under $3000, that would be lovely.
Going to be easier and probably cheaper than trying to find a manufacturer that offers it as an option.
32gb isn't that extraordinary. The real bear to get is all that and the touchscreen. Sager has plenty of 15" 4k IPS displays, i7-6700k, GTX 1060/1070/1080, and 32gb of RAM laptops...but none are touchscreen. Looking outside of Alienwares, XoticPC lists ASUS as having touchscreen models at 4k...but are limited to GTX 960M GPUs (which aren't going to be providing "ridiculous horsepower").
Yeah, that's basically what I'm running into.
The "New" Razer Blade Pro ticks all the boxes, but it's not out yet, and MSRP is a thousand bucks more than all the others I'm looking at.
But then, getting one of those external GPU boxes could be a way to go as well. Get a kickass GPU that I can upgrade in there for when I'm doing the heavy lifting at my desk, and just deal with the not-cutting-edge performance when I'm working mobile.
Edit: also, it's looking like opening up some of these laptops to upgrade the RAM will void the warranty, which I definitely don't want to do on a machine I use for work.
Yeah, I was considering the Razer... Stealth? Whatever it was, I just couldn't justify the expense for the enclosure. If I can get this laptop to last through the next GPU cycle, it might be affordable enough to go that way.
I've seen two other eGPU boxes, and one is significantly more expensive, and one is less.
Huh! Thanks for the heads up on the discount. It's ~500USD before the coupon. It's ~1400USD for the whole bundle after discount. I'd throw on another ~250 for an SSD upgrade.
That's not too terrible, considering a Thunderbolt dock would be a few hundred on its own anyway. I'm having trouble finding the specifics on Razer's site, but: do you know if the Core supplies power over TB, and does it have audio ports?
EDIT: I should probably hold out and see what kind of offerings are coming for 1050 Ti laptops.
Not bad, get some more RAM maybe and a bigger/2nd SSD. I don't need top end graphics, just decent
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=psdc_13896615011_t1_B015PYYDMQ?th=1
Could it play any recent shooters (Doom, BF1) with decent settings?
Doom? At 1080p and high, it looks like the benchmarks are not in your favor: ~15fps or so. Dropping down to medium at 1366x768 will get you an average of 28fps. BF1 is a little better at 32fps at the 1366x768 medium setting.
I'm using this site as a reference: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-940MX.156033.0.html
Steam: pazython
I haven't looked in a while, but I'd suspect you can get a 960M chip in a sub-$700 laptop now.
You may also want to check out websites like http://www.notebookcheck.net to get an idea of what's current and/or what's coming.
Sweet. I would like to buy one in time for PAX, so the "what's coming" isn't very useful to me. I guess it comes down to if I want to get one with a 900 series card or a 1000 series one. It looks like 1050M isn't too much more expensive than 960M. Hmm...
Steam: pazython
Dell has some laptops with 1050 Ti available.
ASUS too. I've been happy with my G752 with a 970M.
Of course they released the newer ones like a week after I bought mine, but at least they were more expensive so didn't hurt quite as much.