Looking for a new laptop

[tobapopalos]

I'm looking for a bit of a jack-of-all-trades laptop and was wondering if anyone had any advice concerning what specs to look for, what to avoid, and any specific recommendations as to brand/model. Ideally I'd prefer a good brand.

I'll be using it mainly at home for writing, interneting, watching movies, storing/listening to music, and a bit of gaming (but not much - I use my xbox for most of it). So basically a bit of everything.

Price limit is about £500, but I can go over if there is something great on offer.

PS. Please keep technotalk to a minimum. It'll just confuse me.

 

[Steve_God]

How much writing are you planning on using it for?
If not much, I'd probably recommend a tablet. Highly recommend a nexus 10!

 

[tobapopalos]

Nah. I'll be doing a lot of writing on it. Plus I don't much like tablets.

 

[Dax]

Steer clear of Acer, or any brand you purchase in Argos or superstores.

Dell is only for high value purchases.

 

[Max]

I've got a DELL studio 7 which I use as a laptop replacement, which is excellent as a "jack-of-all-trades" laptop I think.

Mine was quite pricey though. But what you CAN do is look at getting something smaller or similar.

 

[tobapopalos]

I was thinking of Dell as a possibility if the extra cost is worth it. I don't want to pay like £200 extra just for the shiny name badge.

If you can tell me that the extra cost really does give you a decent improvement in performance then that would be something I'd find acceptable. This is probably the only new computer I'm ever going to buy so I want to get something good.

 

[Dax]

Mid range Toshiba are a good investment, as are Asus. I'd probably avoid Dell at your budget. The batteries and chargers go like nobody's business.

 

[Stevey]

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODUCTCONFIGPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY=989913

I have never had any problems with Mesh. This would be good for you.

 

[tobapopalos]

Mid range Toshiba are a good investment, as are Asus. I'd probably avoid Dell at your budget. The batteries and chargers go like nobody's business.

Fair enough. Toshiba seem like a solid bet. My dad and sister have had them for years.

 

[Alvestein]

I've got a DELL studio 7 which I use as a laptop replacement, which is excellent as a "jack-of-all-trades" laptop I think.

Mine was quite pricey though. But what you CAN do is look at getting something smaller or similar.

I've got a studio 15, overheats like a ***** (can't use touchpad as it physically hurts) and will crash if I don't have a fan underneath if i'm watching videos or with a fan 1 game of Dota2 will knock it out.

Battery is dead after.. one and a half years? I just use it always on charged now although that might be to do with the fact that I left it charged permanently for an entire year whilst I was in halls as I didn't have to pay for energy bills.

 

[Max]

Yeah to avoid overheating I use a USB connected laptop fan underneath, but personally that's a problem I find with all laptops when you want to play an intensive game on it.

And I always have the laptop connected to power, I never use it on battery

 

[Dax]

That's because laptops were never meant to be for gaming purposes! It's just a con to make you spend 3x as much as you could as a built-for-purpose desktop.

 

[Alcibiades]

Yeah to avoid overheating I use a USB connected laptop fan underneath, but personally that's a problem I find with all laptops when you want to play an intensive game on it.

And I always have the laptop connected to power, I never use it on battery

My cats love it when my laptop overheats, they use it as a lounging area. Frankly, totally worth it.

 

[Spiky Spoon]

New HP DV6 range. As they've overcompensated for the original overheating problem.

 

[Dax]

New HP DV6 range. As they've overcompensated for the original overheating problem.

But still haven't solved the fact that they are all cheap piles of dog **** that hold the highest insurance claimed laptop manufacturer in the UK.

 

[timtadams]

Mid range Toshiba are a good investment, as are Asus.

This, I would also recommend.

I would also suggest an i5 processor for decent multitasking. i7 is totally unnecessary and it's 4 cores use more power. i3 would still be suitable. It's
still a dual core, but without hyperthreading.

my lappy has an i7 but now it overheats all the time
It is a first gen i7 though, so not as efficient as newer ones, which I guess contributes to overheating.

And if you're not really using it for gaming, go for a faster cpu rather than better graphics card.

 

[Dax]

Mid range Toshiba are a good investment, as are Asus.

This, I would also recommend.

I would also suggest an i5 processor for decent multitasking. i7 is totally unnecessary and it's 4 cores use more power. i3 would still be suitable. It's
still a dual core, but without hyperthreading.

my lappy has an i7 but now it overheats all the time
It is a first gen i7 though, so not as efficient as newer ones, which I guess contributes to overheating.

And if you're not really using it for gaming, go for a faster cpu rather than better graphics card.

Intel HD on-board graphics/6GB RAM/Core 2 Duo-Quad CPU would be more than sufficient if you're just intending on having it for general use. It could play sub-2004 games too if you wanted, without doing it any permanent damage.

Top tips from the pr0 insurance engineer:

1. Do not use a laptop on your lap. They were actually called mobile computers before some retard renamed them laptops. It is highly damaging, and accounts for around 35% of all cases that I saw when I worked with Aviva as a head engineer.
2. Always use some form of lifted platform under your laptop - A high-quality plastic one would be your cheapest bet, but fans are not necessary so long as you keep it at a 25-45 degree angle.
3. Never use a laptop on top of fabric or carpets. They are quintessentially giant suction systems, and will more than likely absorb any fluff or dust that they are in close proximity to.
4. Every six months, make an effort to clear the fans using compressed air spray. Remember to always use the spray upside down, as there is liquid inside the canisters that will come out when used upright.
5. And finally, take the time to research your specific make and model. Look for 'how to' videos for repairing it on YouTube. Read detailed walkthroughs on how to safely disassemble it. The more you actually know about your own laptop, the cheaper it will be to repair when it breaks (and every laptop has an indefinite shelf life).

 

[Alcibiades]

New HP DV6 range. As they've overcompensated for the original overheating problem.

But still haven't solved the fact that they are all cheap piles of dog **** that hold the highest insurance claimed laptop manufacturer in the UK.

I've owned a few HP laptops, and every single one has been a bag of utter *****. Don't go anywhere near them.

 

[tobapopalos]

Good to know.

Thanks for all the helpful comments so far, folks.