As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Laptop Replacement/Suggestions Thread: Bring out yer dead laptops!

1272830323345

Posts

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Shit. I completely forgot abuot Wirecutter; and they are normally my go-to.

    For desktop users, the consensus tends to be to go with a 2060 and overclock it; or find a way to move to the 2080. For laptops, though, I'd argue that the 2070 hits a good sweet spot since users would generally not want to overclock their GPU to better control heat.

    TLDR: pick the 2070 over the 1070.

  • OneAngryPossumOneAngryPossum Registered User regular
    edited April 2019
    What’s the word on cheap laptop trackpads these days?

    I’ve primarily stuck with MacBooks for various reasons, but I need something to essentially be a fancy word processor so I’m not looking to spend big bucks.

    That said, the last time I had a Windows laptop the trackpad was a real piece of garbage, and I’d like to avoid that if possible. I know there’s been some improvement on that front, at least at the upper ends of the price range (Surface and Dell XPSs seem competitive with Macs), but has there been any progress for cheaper devices?

    OneAngryPossum on
  • AridholAridhol Daddliest Catch Registered User regular
    Not really from my experience. Pc trackpads are still hot garbage compared to a macbook.

    Even my xps 13 is just adequate compared to my wife's mbpro.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    For whatever it's worth, you can get the Apple trackpad as a peripheral and have both.

  • SeñorAmorSeñorAmor !!! Registered User regular
    So if I were to buy a Chromebook, which one should I get?

    Other than a Pixelbook, of course, since $1000 is a lot of money.

    Touch screen is a must. 360 degree hinge would be nice.

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited April 2019
    I have the ASUS C302CA and it's been good. Swivel hinge, touchscreen with decent track pad. 64GB onboard and micro SD slot. Somewhat pricey for a Chromebook.

    I mean you can play Neko Atsume and Exploding Kittens, so that's really all your need to know

    Think there's a newer model out or coming out?

    MichaelLC on
  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    edited May 2019
    Hi thread. I'm considering picking up a new laptop. I have always used macbook pro's (current laptop is an early 2015 macbook pro), but have been increasingly unimpressed with the apple's value proposition on them. I have about $2000 to spend on a replacement computer, which would mostly used to do some data processing/programming (principally python), and then general web stuff and word processing type things.

    I am looking for something with a good trackpad (honestly my favourite part of the macbook pro), about 13" screen, and a decent battery life. Anything which currently stands out? Oh, also will want linux on it. Dual-booting is a fine.

    KetBra on
    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • AridholAridhol Daddliest Catch Registered User regular
    Dell xps 13 line or macbook.

    For all the shit I give Mac people, the laptops are top notch for "general use".

    I have an xps 13 which I love though.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    The Surface Laptops are probably too cheap for your price point, ironically, though they have excellent track pads and very good build quality, especially in "everyday use" areas. But they're designed to be economic, so at most you'll get an i7 with 512 GB at around $2,000. Dell or another company that's not Apple could probably give you more for that same amount.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited May 2019
    Idly looking at laptop power banks. It'd probably be a fool's errand trying to find one that can actually power my Alienware machine when it's running (and no, I wasn't thinking gaming, obviously, but I'm still not sure what its power draw is when web browsing, writing etc), but I assume a decent power bank would still be fully capable of recharging the laptop when it's switched off, right?

    Edit: hmm, one review says it should be drawing around 37W when idling. So technically it could run from a bank offering 60W, but any sudden spike in power draw could easily trip the bank's safety features, I'd assume. And that review unit had the same GPU and display as mine, so the G-sync's extra power demands due to the GPU always running should be factored in.

    Jazz on
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    What's the model number?

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited May 2019
    Of the laptop? Alienware 17 R4.

    A rather demanding beast, I know.

    29/5 edit: I'll take the three days of *crickets* as "not on your life, you crazy bastard" :lol:

    Jazz on
  • KarlKarl Registered User regular
    Cross posting from the PC build thread
    Karl wrote: »
    Ok PC build thread. I require your assistance. A friend of my wife has realised I know something about PC's and has asked for my advice on a gaming laptop.

    Key points
    • I've already told him a desktop is better but he is set on a laptop. I think it's because he travels with work/his flat doesn't have the space for a desktop anyway.
    • He's into strategy/simulation games, so Football Manager, Total war and the Civ games for example

    What kind of kit is he going to need?

    I was thinking
    • Current Gen I5 (I have an 8400 but maybe a newer one than that?)
    • GTX 1070?
    • 16GB RAM (though not sure on clockspeed here).
    • SSD hard drive (Thank you, everyone, here for the recommendation, having one of these is amazing).

    What do we think? I'm not sure if he needs an I7 instead of an I5 as simulation games tend to use more processing power?

  • IoloIolo iolo Registered User regular
    Karl wrote: »
    Cross posting from the PC build thread
    Karl wrote: »
    Ok PC build thread. I require your assistance. A friend of my wife has realised I know something about PC's and has asked for my advice on a gaming laptop.

    Key points
    • I've already told him a desktop is better but he is set on a laptop. I think it's because he travels with work/his flat doesn't have the space for a desktop anyway.
    • He's into strategy/simulation games, so Football Manager, Total war and the Civ games for example

    What kind of kit is he going to need?

    I was thinking
    • Current Gen I5 (I have an 8400 but maybe a newer one than that?)
    • GTX 1070?
    • 16GB RAM (though not sure on clockspeed here).
    • SSD hard drive (Thank you, everyone, here for the recommendation, having one of these is amazing).

    What do we think? I'm not sure if he needs an I7 instead of an I5 as simulation games tend to use more processing power?

    I was looking for something in the same neighborhood last year. I wanted a 15" screen as 17" is just too flipping big to tote around. I also wanted something that didn't immediately scream GAMER with blinged out lights and brutalist edges and NASCAR logo placements.

    Ended up getting this Lenovo Legion. It has been an absolute champ. I've only played BATTLETECH and AC: Odyssesy on it, but I did so with the graphics turned up and with great performance. (I only really play it plugged in. Screen brightness does take a hit when you are on battery only. I priced out the 1070 version too, but I ended up deciding that w/ 15" the screen resolution wasn't really going to require anything more than a 1060 for the forseeable future for games I was likely to be playing.

    Lt. Iolo's First Day
    Steam profile.
    Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited July 2019
    Iolo wrote: »
    Karl wrote: »
    Cross posting from the PC build thread
    Karl wrote: »
    Ok PC build thread. I require your assistance. A friend of my wife has realised I know something about PC's and has asked for my advice on a gaming laptop.

    Key points
    • I've already told him a desktop is better but he is set on a laptop. I think it's because he travels with work/his flat doesn't have the space for a desktop anyway.
    • He's into strategy/simulation games, so Football Manager, Total war and the Civ games for example

    What kind of kit is he going to need?

    I was thinking
    • Current Gen I5 (I have an 8400 but maybe a newer one than that?)
    • GTX 1070?
    • 16GB RAM (though not sure on clockspeed here).
    • SSD hard drive (Thank you, everyone, here for the recommendation, having one of these is amazing).

    What do we think? I'm not sure if he needs an I7 instead of an I5 as simulation games tend to use more processing power?

    I was looking for something in the same neighborhood last year. I wanted a 15" screen as 17" is just too flipping big to tote around. I also wanted something that didn't immediately scream GAMER with blinged out lights and brutalist edges and NASCAR logo placements.

    I guess I never thought of my 17 R4 having brutalist styling, but now you've said that I can't unsee it. It totally does! :lol:

    (I keep the most bling-y lights off, though. Specifically the side ones.)

    Jazz on
  • DixonDixon Screwed...possibly doomed CanadaRegistered User regular
    I'm gonna throw my hat in for MBP 13"

    The thing is just solid, and even the Iris intel gpu is decent. I can play Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and high graphics at 1650x1080.

    Currently I'm playing Slay the Spire and HoMM5 on it.

    I have bootcamp with windows 10 on it as well...and it runs Windows better then any windows native laptop I have owned.

  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    Crosspost from H/A. Questions about eGPUs.
    Feral wrote: »
    I'm changing my home office setup to allow my partner to work from home and to better fit my lifestyle. I'm looking at the cost differences between Dell docking stations vs third-party eGPUs (eg, Razer Core, Sonnet Breakaway, etc) and trying to figure out if there's any reason I shouldn't buy an eGPU.

    My laptop is a Dell Latitude with Thunderbolt 3 and eGPU support. My partner's work laptop is also a Dell Latitude with Thunderbolt 3 and eGPU support (though, because it is a work laptop, she only has limited access and installing new applications or drivers has to be approved by her work).

    Current configuration: Older desktop gaming PC, self-built, with a GeForce 960. Gathering dust. Two 1080p monitors on articulating monitor arms each with various inputs (DVI, HDMI, etc.)

    The goal: remove the desktop gaming PC. Replace it with either an eGPU or a docking station that would allow me and my partner to plug in our laptops (at different times, of course) to get full benefit of both monitors (and mouse and keyboard).

    Option 1: Dell Thunderbolt Dock. These range from $200 (for the Dell TB16) to a little over $300 (for the Dell TB18).

    Option 2: Third-party eGPU such as a Razer Core or Sonnet Breakaway. Cannibalize the old GeForce 960 from the desktop computer. This would also allow me to do some light gaming. (I already do some light gaming on my laptop. It's one of those odd Latitude models with an internal Geforce 930MX.) Cost is $200-400 depending on specs. Sometime in the future, upgrade the graphics card.

    With option 2, I'm hoping that my partner's laptop can just use the native Windows drivers. That way we don't need to bother her work's IT department. She doesn't need graphics performance, she's just doing MS Office. It just needs to work.

    I'm leaning strongly towards the eGPU, but I've never actually touched an eGPU enclosure before, so I don't know if there are any pitfalls.

    One feature that I absolutely positively 100% need on the eGPU are USB ports - at least two of them, for mouse and keyboard. I've noticed that only some eGPUs have them.

    So my questions to the Internet hive mind are:

    A) Is there any reason why I should go with a Dell Thunderbolt Dock instead of plunge into the eGPU world?
    B) Does anybody have any interesting experiences regarding eGPUs to share, either positive or negative?

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • BloodycowBloodycow Registered User regular
    KetBra wrote: »
    Hi thread. I'm considering picking up a new laptop. I have always used macbook pro's (current laptop is an early 2015 macbook pro), but have been increasingly unimpressed with the apple's value proposition on them. I have about $2000 to spend on a replacement computer, which would mostly used to do some data processing/programming (principally python), and then general web stuff and word processing type things.

    I am looking for something with a good trackpad (honestly my favourite part of the macbook pro), about 13" screen, and a decent battery life. Anything which currently stands out? Oh, also will want linux on it. Dual-booting is a fine.

    Linus and crew really liked the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo

    It has a 15 inch screen though. I'm really considering it for my autocad and fusion 360 use. My razer blade 14 really chugs when doing vectors and rastorization of images for my Glowforge.

    " I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
    ― John Quincy Adams
  • Bendery It Like BeckhamBendery It Like Beckham Hopeless Registered User regular
    I just benchmarked an i7 9750H RTX3000, and a i9 9850H RTX5000 config for some engineering use.

    I don't think I've ever held a laptop this expensive in my life.

  • BloodycowBloodycow Registered User regular
    edited September 2019
    Thinkpad I take it?

    I really wanted to get one, but I hate the stupid finger mouse button in the middle of the keyboard. They should have gotten rid of that 10 years or more ago.

    Bloodycow on
    " I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
    ― John Quincy Adams
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    All the Thinkpads still have traditional touchpads. They just kept the nib around for those 0.00001% who use it. You can disable it via software.

  • DrovekDrovek Registered User regular
    I used to love the nub long ago, but these days I find I can't work with anything that's not a desktop mouse.

    steam_sig.png( < . . .
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Dixon wrote: »
    I'm gonna throw my hat in for MBP 13"

    The thing is just solid, and even the Iris intel gpu is decent. I can play Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and high graphics at 1650x1080.

    Currently I'm playing Slay the Spire and HoMM5 on it.

    I have bootcamp with windows 10 on it as well...and it runs Windows better then any windows native laptop I have owned.

    Not to diminish your experience, but having used Windows 10 on Macbook Pros....that's really sad. :bigfrown:

  • AridholAridhol Daddliest Catch Registered User regular
    Long live the nub!

    My old Dell xps 13 ultrabook is starting to show its age as its only dual core 4 threads and the CPU fan just died.

    Looking for a replacement with great battery life and basic gaming capabilities (wow, d3, old titles).

    I'm also not very nice to hardware so something with decent build quality would be nice.

    Any recommendations?

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Does anyone have experience with super cheap small laptops, like what we used to call Netbook size, or Windows tablets? I need some Windows based portable device as I'm taking over the stats and money for my son's youth bowling league. I have a desktop PC but something I could take with me would be great.

    I know there are Windows tablets as well but a Surface would be more than I really want to invest. Alternatively I thought about a used full sized laptop but obviously buying one off Craigslist or the like doesn't guarantee a decent battery life.

    Any thoughts on a super cheap on the go Windows?

  • CauldCauld Registered User regular
    Does anyone have experience with super cheap small laptops, like what we used to call Netbook size, or Windows tablets? I need some Windows based portable device as I'm taking over the stats and money for my son's youth bowling league. I have a desktop PC but something I could take with me would be great.

    I know there are Windows tablets as well but a Surface would be more than I really want to invest. Alternatively I thought about a used full sized laptop but obviously buying one off Craigslist or the like doesn't guarantee a decent battery life.

    Any thoughts on a super cheap on the go Windows?

    Why not just use google docs with any tablet you already have? You can even update it with your phone, I think.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Does anyone have experience with super cheap small laptops, like what we used to call Netbook size, or Windows tablets? I need some Windows based portable device as I'm taking over the stats and money for my son's youth bowling league. I have a desktop PC but something I could take with me would be great.

    I know there are Windows tablets as well but a Surface would be more than I really want to invest. Alternatively I thought about a used full sized laptop but obviously buying one off Craigslist or the like doesn't guarantee a decent battery life.

    Any thoughts on a super cheap on the go Windows?

    The Surface Go is pretty cheap--the low end models are around $400.

    So maybe not that cheap, and perhaps overkill for what you need it. Battery life for the low end models is pretty good though.

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    Does anyone have experience with super cheap small laptops, like what we used to call Netbook size, or Windows tablets? I need some Windows based portable device as I'm taking over the stats and money for my son's youth bowling league. I have a desktop PC but something I could take with me would be great.

    I know there are Windows tablets as well but a Surface would be more than I really want to invest. Alternatively I thought about a used full sized laptop but obviously buying one off Craigslist or the like doesn't guarantee a decent battery life.

    Any thoughts on a super cheap on the go Windows?

    Why not just use google docs with any tablet you already have? You can even update it with your phone, I think.

    It's this horrible archaic software I have to use that is Windows only. It handles match ups, Lane assignments, etc. I did think about remote desktop via my Kindle though.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    edited October 2019
    You may be able to find an older-model Lenovo X1 somewhere like Ebay. Even if you have concerns about a used battery, you can get a replacement with little effort.

    If you didn't have to load the software, I'd recommend a Chromebook; which you can find open box at a Best Buy for under $200.

    They are bulky and heavy, but each of my kids have a 14" laptop (Dell E5430 I think). The one I recently bought on Ebay for the younger was only $60. I swapped in a SSD and it was off and running without issue. I did have to buy a charger for it, but I got one for under $15.

    Mugsley on
  • DixonDixon Screwed...possibly doomed CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2019
    Synthesis wrote: »
    Dixon wrote: »
    I'm gonna throw my hat in for MBP 13"

    The thing is just solid, and even the Iris intel gpu is decent. I can play Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and high graphics at 1650x1080.

    Currently I'm playing Slay the Spire and HoMM5 on it.

    I have bootcamp with windows 10 on it as well...and it runs Windows better then any windows native laptop I have owned.

    Not to diminish your experience, but having used Windows 10 on Macbook Pros....that's really sad. :bigfrown:

    Was it rough for you? Maybe it's gotten better on later generations?

    I was surprised all the drivers worked immediately after the install and it was all automatic. Even the touch bar worked.

    I also now never have the BT issues I seem to have with other laptops.

    The only issue was the trackpad being highly sensitive at first but I was able to fix that no problem.

    Dixon on
  • NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    edited November 2019
    I had posted this in the Diablo thread:
    Noggin wrote: »
    Does anyone play on a laptop?

    I’m pretty strongly considering getting one for convenience until my kids are older. We have one that I “play” on sometimes but it’s a real clunker from like 2013- Celeron something or other, 4gb ram... it somehow manages to chug along at 800x600 with everything low/off. :rotate:

    I guess I’m mainly looking for what anyone else’s experience is, so I can start to wrap my head around what specs & price point to consider.

    So ya, I’m looking to see how cheap I can go while still able to play games from around 2012 (D3) through 2017ish (Xcom 2, Civ 6). It might also be nice to finally give Path of Exile more of a chance, and Grim Dawn. I don’t foresee playing anything more demanding than those.

    I mentioned to a coworker that my desktop is only on i5, 8gb ram, gtx760; he said integrated gpus are probably comparable at this point? I guess that might make 8gb a little tight, and I’d want an SSD. Edit: That’s roughly the performance I’d like, and strongly favor that over looks.

    I saw some suggestions for Microsoft Signature(?) as a way to avoid bloatware, but that later seemed overblown.

    What else should I be considering?

    Noggin on
    Battletag: Noggin#1936
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Noggin wrote: »
    I had posted this in the Diablo thread:
    Noggin wrote: »
    Does anyone play on a laptop?

    I’m pretty strongly considering getting one for convenience until my kids are older. We have one that I “play” on sometimes but it’s a real clunker from like 2013- Celeron something or other, 4gb ram... it somehow manages to chug along at 800x600 with everything low/off. :rotate:

    I guess I’m mainly looking for what anyone else’s experience is, so I can start to wrap my head around what specs & price point to consider.

    So ya, I’m looking to see how cheap I can go while still able to play games from around 2012 (D3) through 2017ish (Xcom 2, Civ 6). It might also be nice to finally give Path of Exile more of a chance, and Grim Dawn. I don’t foresee playing anything more demanding than those.

    I mentioned to a coworker that my desktop is only on i5, 8gb ram, gtx760; he said integrated gpus are probably comparable at this point? I guess that might make 8gb a little tight, and I’d want an SSD. Edit: That’s roughly the performance I’d like, and strongly favor that over looks.

    I saw some suggestions for Microsoft Signature(?) as a way to avoid bloatware, but that later seemed overblown.

    What else should I be considering?

    Integratd graphics have definitely not caught up to a GTX 760 desktop part. a quick look at userbenchmark has the GTX 760 as 10% faster on average than a GTX 1050 laptop part. a laptop with a GTX 1050 should be your minimum starting point.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • jdarksunjdarksun Struggler VARegistered User regular
    Really depends on what you want, and how much you want to spend. What's your budget? Are you optimizing for small footprint / light weight, cost, performance?

  • NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    I was wondering how well I could do in the 400-600-ish range. ”well” being how much better than the celeron 4gb without an ssd... which I think was $200 seven years ago.

    I mentioned my desktop specs but it doesn’t have to run that well. D3 runs like a dream on my PC, and “playable” on that old thing with occasional delays. The other games I mentioned are more of a stretch goal I guess. Otherwise it’s just for general purpose & ease of access.

    So I guess cost > performance >>> footprint & weight. Also not worried about battery as I imagine games would just kill it anyway and I’ll keep it plugged in.

    Battletag: Noggin#1936
  • jdarksunjdarksun Struggler VARegistered User regular
    I think you might be able to find a Lenovo in that price range. Something like this , maybe? But I don't have any experiences with Lenovo myself. :(

  • NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    Hmm, I’m not familiar with Lenovo either but that seems pretty decent. I’ll have to look into them. I guess a dedicated gpu is more doable than I thought- but does it make a considerable difference in heat?

    Battletag: Noggin#1936
  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    Heat might get uncomfortable on your lap, but best bet it to get a cooling pad. It’s basically an enclosed massive fan, or several smaller fans, that lift the laptop off the solid surface it sits on and circulated cool air under it. You can drop temps upwards of 10 degrees, depending on the laptop and cooling pad models.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    I'm still using a Lenovo Y50 that's nearly 7 years old and it can handle what I throw at it.

    It is not my daily gamer; as I have an upgraded desktop but that laptop was/is no slouch.

    If you're fine with integrated graphics:
    LINK

    If you're willing to stretch your budget:
    LINK

  • NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    Thanks, I’ll have to see if those restock. I was actually at a Best Buy yesterday and the Lenovos looked pretty nice. At this point I’m waiting to see the Black Friday sales, but all the suggestions are very appreciated!

    Battletag: Noggin#1936
Sign In or Register to comment.