Official Laptop Recommendation Thread

Trundle

Trundle

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Due to the frequency of threads popping up that ask for laptop suggestions, I decided to make this. I'll cover some basics here and feel free to ask questions.


What kind of laptop should I get?

You should always decide based on how you're going to use it:
-Gaming
-Work
-Student
-Light Use
-Application heavy / multimedia
-All in one

After you decide how your laptop is going to be used, here are some very basic guidelines:

Gaming:
  • Recommend a PC that runs Windows
  • Min. 8GB RAM and i5 or i7 processor with a dedicated AMD or Nvidia Graphics card
  • Will NOT be the most sleek but still a good amount of options
  • Some classic HHD and still good to have some SSD for startup

Work:
  • The OS is totally your choice unless your workplace demands something different. I suggest a Windows PC because you can just partition your hard drive and boot Linux or OS X on it.
  • You may want a decent processor for multitasking and minimum 4GBs of RAM.
  • You will want a lighter laptop with more battery life

Student:
  • Entirely based on your budget. Money will be tight but making the right choice is crucial
  • If you have the money and you like Apple, go for a Macbook Pro. They are sturdy, reliable, and user friendly
  • You may need good battery life unless your classes and halls have well placed power outlets
  • 4GB of RAM, i5 processor, and the right brand can get you through 4+ years

Light Use:
  • Just browsing the web? An i5 processor and 4GB of RAM will get you through. I suggest a sturdy Windows laptop with good utility (USB ports, DVD drive, SD card slot)
  • No need to spend more than $500 for a good netbook

Application Heavy/Multimedia:
  • Graphic Artist? Music Maker? Go with a Macbook unless you really just enjoy your own customization with Windows.
  • Computer Science? Go with a Windows laptop because you likely already know how to triple boot the three major OS's.
  • Programs that take up a lot of RAM (browse web, use photoshop, have video editing open) need 8GB and i7 processor the majority of the time.

All in one:
  • Want gaming, heavy media usage, a good battery life and more? You're going to be paying a decent amount for something that can handle it all.
  • You want an i7 and between 8GB and 16GB of RAM. You want a dedicated graphics card. You want all that utility and more. You're going to be looking at $1100+. Your laptop might be a little bit more bulky than you want but there are definitely great solutions for what you want.



Have you decided what you want? Here are suggestions for each in specific price ranges. Most laptops will be ASUS or Lenovo as most other non Apple laptop brands suck.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y50: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y50/#tab-tech_specs (less expensive alternative - Lenovo Y40)
ASUS ROG G751JL: http://www.amazon.com/G751JL-DS71-1...47-2037350?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1439148169&sr=1-4 (any ASUS ROG would work)
Lenovo ThinkPad T450: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/t-series/t450s/ (Cheaper options - any lower tier ThinkPads)
MacBook Pro: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...F8&qid=1439148401&sr=1-3&keywords=macbook+pro
MacBook Pro for you rich people: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...F8&qid=1439148401&sr=1-3&keywords=macbook+pro
Lenovo ThinkPad E Series: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/e-series/
Lenovo G Series: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/lenovo/g-series/
Lenovo ThinkPad E Series: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/e-series/
Lenovo Flex Series: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/lenovo/flex-series/
MacBook Air: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...F8&qid=1439148585&sr=1-2&keywords=macbook+air
Lenovo Y70: http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-17-3-I...TF8&qid=1439148658&sr=1-2&keywords=Lenovo+Y70
MacBook Pro: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...F8&qid=1439148697&sr=1-1&keywords=macbook+pro
(it's hard for these because you have a lot of different options depending on what you're using it for)
Lenovo Y50 UHD: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y50-uhd/
MacBook Pro:http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...F8&qid=1439148697&sr=1-1&keywords=macbook+pro
ASUS ROG 6751JY-DB72 (this thing is a beast but huge): http://www.amazon.com/G751JY-DB72-17-3-Inch-Gaming-GeForce-Graphics/dp/B00YR6BNVS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

OMG I don't know what to get?!?!?!
Just ask in the thread with your budget and what you need it for.
Can this run Runescape?
Yes.
Can I browse the TBT forum on this laptop?
Yes.
What if a laptop you suggested ends up sucking?
I will fix it for you.
Will this laptop you suggested for students last my whole degree?
As long as you know how to take care of it, yes.

Good luck finding a laptop! I will check the thread frequently for people asking questions. I very highly suggest you ask questions even if you think you know what you're going to get.

If you don't agree with something I posted in this thread or have a correction, just let me know!
 
i5s and i7s are way out of reach for me :( not like i need a new computer tho but thanks for the thread it'll help alot pf people
 
Forek said:
i5s and i7s are way out of reach for me :( not like i need a new computer tho but thanks for the thread it'll help alot pf people
Click to expand...

i5 processors are actually really common and standard.
 
Nice thread!

I'm going back to school next week and recently bought a new MacBook pro. I went with one that has 8GB of ram and a solid state drive since my previous laptop (4GB with an actual hard drive) had a few limitations in my last year of university. Mainly handling very large excel files became a problem. So depending on what you're studying more ram might be a good option for school.
 
tbh i dont see the reason in gaming laptops unless you literally cant game at home. building a gaming pc is always much better imo. but i guess people if people want they can put the money in. i dont typically use my laptop for gaming much since its more for school than anything
 
justice said:
tbh i dont see the reason in gaming laptops unless you literally cant game at home. building a gaming pc is always much better imo. but i guess people if people want they can put the money in. i dont typically use my laptop for gaming much since its more for school than anything
Click to expand...

I agree with you on gaming PC. I bought a gaming laptop though, because I want something I can have at university that I can also play games on. I don't have enough money for a good laptop and a gaming PC at the same time, unfortunately.
 
i actually rly hate the design of all those gaming laptops, like the msi laptops with that obnoxious badge on the lid
 
If you're a graphics student, get a laptop with a great graphics card.
I still suggest PC over Mac, since you can easily change out the specs and customize your computer to your needs.
You'll also save a huge amount of money for a better computer.

If you're doing animation, get a graphics card GTX 970 or higher.

If you're on a budget, here's the one I just bought for my fiance. It's not perfect, but it will do, since I needed one fast and don't have time to build one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315015
 
I plan on getting a new laptop since mine is four years old and gets hot super quickly. It also cannot play Youtube videos without lagging anymore and even Tumblr freezes it now. Poor thing.

I play games on Steam, watch Youtube, browse the web with multiple tabs at once, have Skype calls (camera and voice chat). I want to be able Skype with cameras and watch an episode of Doctor Who at the same time without the show cutting out and freezing. I also want to be able to play games like Minecraft with Skype cameras on at the time as well. I know Skype eats memory but I hope newer laptops can handle what I want from them. What specs and memory should I look at? I'm only interested in Windows computers.
 
Shimmer said:
I plan on getting a new laptop since mine is four years old and gets hot super quickly. It also cannot play Youtube videos without lagging anymore and even Tumblr freezes it now. Poor thing.

I play games on Steam, watch Youtube, browse the web with multiple tabs at once, have Skype calls (camera and voice chat). I want to be able Skype with cameras and watch an episode of Doctor Who at the same time without the show cutting out and freezing. I also want to be able to play games like Minecraft with Skype cameras on at the time as well. I know Skype eats memory but I hope newer laptops can handle what I want from them. What specs and memory should I look at? I'm only interested in Windows computers.
Click to expand...

There are a few laptops that could fit the bill here. What do you want for battery life, storage amount, and weight/size of the laptop itself?
 
I got an Asus flip 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop with an i5 processor and 8GB RAM and I was wondering if it would be good for software development, programming, coding, etc once I start college this month (doing intro to IT this semester).
 
Last edited:
Mega_Cabbage said:
I got an Asus flip 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop with an i5 processor and 8GB RAM and I was wondering if it would be good for software development, programming, coding, etc once I start college this month (doing intro to IT this semester).
Click to expand...

It sounds like it'll be fine! Mind sending me a link to the specific laptop? ASUS makes great products. I'm also starting school for Computer Science in a month and my Lenovo Y40 is great for my Ubuntu/Windows dual boot. It has an i7 and runs any programs I need just fine, even heavy emulation like Android Studio.
 
Trundle said:
There are a few laptops that could fit the bill here. What do you want for battery life, storage amount, and weight/size of the laptop itself?
Click to expand...

Decent battery life. Like a few hours.
I currently have 750GB storage space with 6GB RAM. Anything better than that is good.
For the weight andsize of the laptop, it doesn't matter much. Just average.
 
Shimmer said:
Anywhere between $500-$800. And what laptop brands are generally good?
Click to expand...

The top two laptop brands for Windows are ASUS and Lenovo.

Check out the following laptops:
Lenovo Edge 15
Lenovo Y40-80
ASUS 15.6" Pentium N3540

Of the three, I would recommend the Y40-80. Also, if you can get a more expensive laptop used that is only max 2 years old, that would be a decent idea.
 
Trundle said:
The top two laptop brands for Windows are ASUS and Lenovo.

Check out the following laptops:
Lenovo Edge 15
Lenovo Y40-80
ASUS 15.6" Pentium N3540

Of the three, I would recommend the Y40-80. Also, if you can get a more expensive laptop used that is only max 2 years old, that would be a decent idea.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your help! They're into TB of memory now. Wow. O:
 
I hope this'll stay bumped up at the first page of Brewster's since I'll be looking for a laptop sooner or later
 
I'm pretty much useless here, but I just got a Dell XPS 13 Touchscreen with 256GB and 8GB RAM. Definitely not the "best" laptop, but it's very reliable, fast, and compact. I would normally go for a 15" screen instead of 13", but it's virtually has no border, so it appears bigger. I just wanted something compact and reliable for college next semester :)
 
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