It's Time for a New PC Notebook

Discussion in 'hardware' started by Cruise, Feb 4, 2021.

  1. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    I need a new Windows notebook as my 8-year old HP Pavilion's CPU, RAM and Graphics are no longer capable of dealing with Photoshop in a responsive manner. So I'm here asking for your recommendations.

    For my needs, performance and reliability are (by far) the most important factors for consideration. Mobility (e.g., being thin, light and good battery-life) is not nearly as important to me as I will be using this notebook in and around my home 95% of the time. I would not consider a screen size smaller than 15.6" and would really prefer a 17.3" (full HD or better) screen. I've never used a touch screen monitor so I don't know whether or not I would find that a nicety? Finally, my budget's ceiling is $2000 (US).

    Btw, I do not have the luxury of a home office and family life often makes it necessary for me to find a relatively quiet space to work, so please do not suggest a desktop.

    Thanks in advance...

    Edit: Just to add what may be relevant info - I am not a gamer!
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2021
  2. Gandalf_The_Grey

    Gandalf_The_Grey Registered Member

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  3. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLaptops/comments/lak7pu/best_laptop_under_2k/

    Btw, is it really a notebok if you want 17"3+?

    https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLapt..._of_gaming_laptops_including_rtx_3000_series/

    Now, at the 2K price point, 1080p and 17'3" are easy to find. IPS likely comes as a given too. 16GB ram is guaranteed, really the only thing u could be picking from would be either better cpu or gpu. And photoshop is gpu dependant, so I dont think u want discrete graphics. And you'll likely be plugged in anyway. But even if you're not, ur battery should last at least a few hours, photoshop is not that intensive. Frankly at this pricepoint u wont have any issues even if ur cpu or gpu is weaker, it will still be fast enough.

    I think the easiest way to look for what u want, is to google gaming laptops. Because they are all about performance, screen size, resolution, not so much about battery (since it will be plugged in anyway), about design or whatever else. They fit your desription perfectly.

    Don't listen to that guy above, u won't be able to play **** on a mac. We all know windows owns the game industry. And he is just linking random sites where u will get **** components (for ur money). Dont listen to him.

    At the 2K price point, u should not satisfy for ANYTHING lesser than:

    - 3000 series nvidia graphics card
    - i7 10th gen cpu
    - 16gb ram
    - full HD 144hz (+IPS)
    - 17 inch
    - 512 gb ssd and a 1TB hdd

    https://www.notebookcheck.net/filea..._NVIDIA_SLIDE_1_Updated_scaled_e6b1425bd8.jpg
    https://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/_processed_/a/e/csm_NVIDIA_SLIDE_3_394e7ede5a.jpg

    That said, this link is a pretty good guide (but there will be more rtx 3000 series laptops soon, so perhaps u should wait):

    https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLapt..._of_gaming_laptops_including_rtx_3000_series/

    And this is why u should get rtx 3000 series https://www.pcgamesn.com/nvidia/rtx-3000-laptop-benchmarks-leak and not 2000 (the benchmarks are already out btw u can check em yourself)

    Also look for Max-Q. Honestly, just go to that subreddit and ask, in a few weeks. There are still many models (like the G15 mentioned there) that will soon release and will be better (likely) at this price point. Turns out when entire forum here is full of people who stack 1872598719857981 security software for no reason other than being paranoid, people dont know much about actual gaming.

    Right now, the only under 2000 usd rtx 3000 series laptop is this https://allgaminglaptop.com/product...12-gb-nvme-ssd-windows-10-home-gaming-laptop/ (unless u can find a deal), but it's 15.6 inch. I personally liked this one the most https://allgaminglaptop.com/product...12-gb-nvme-ssd-windows-10-home-gaming-laptop/

    17.3", 4K UHD HDR IPS, 10870H, rtx 3070 max Q. If you dont want more than 60 hz, the 4K + HDR + IPS combo is really good.

    https://allgaminglaptop.com/product...10-home-gaming-laptop-aorus-17g-xc-8us6430sh/

    And this is the 1080p 300hz version, if u like refresh rate more, also 300 dollars cheaper.

    But again, none of the laptops between 1500 and 2000 can compare to the ones between 2000 and 2500 (or even this $2100 one above). You want either 1080p with 240hz+ refresh rate, or high resolution with HDR and IPS. And ofc rtx 3000 with max Q. None of the laptops under 2000 RIGHT NOW provide it, except maybe this one https://allgaminglaptop.com/product...12-gb-nvme-ssd-windows-10-home-gaming-laptop/

    It has, however, only 16gb ram (not a big deal, could be upgradeable to 32), it is only 15.6", altho it is 144hz and IPS, and has a slightly slower processor (10750H vs 10870H - https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compa...0H-vs-Intel-Core-i7-10870H/m1053158vsm1322918 , you can also click 10875H to compare that one too). The 870H is 13% faster when using all eight cores and overlocked over the 750H, while the 875H is 17% faster overclocked on 8 cores. Below 8 cores, there's barely a difference (3%).

    BUT, the upcoming Aorus 15G is gonna be absolute nuts - https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834725124 . RTX 3080 (33% faster than the 3070, at least the desktop versions https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-RTX-3070-vs-Nvidia-RTX-3080/4083vs4080 ), 240hz IPS, 1TB PCIe ssd. The only problem is it's 15.6" but can't really complain with the other specs for this money

    The 17G version is hundreds of dollars more, doesn't have rtx 3080 or IPS

    If u want 17 inch SO BADLY, this is the other laptop to watch out for https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SJNPG9H/

    300HZ IPS screen, rtx 3070 sadly (such is the sacrifice of 17 inch), however you get a faster processor https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-10870H-vs-AMD-Ryzen-9-5900HX/m1322918vsm1449683 . Not as fast as rtx 3080 vs 3700 but u'll take it.

    Ofc, these are highly sought after laptops so u'll need to do the work to be able to snatch em, after all everyone wants em and the supplies are short.

    Or ask on the subreddit what other models are coming. I do not think u can get both 17 inch and rtx 3080 as well as IPS and high refresh rate or IPS and high resolution. It's kinda, choose 2 of 3. But the above model has 2 of 3 AND a better cpu.

    If you read the original thread I posted you https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLaptops/comments/lak7pu/best_laptop_under_2k/ you can tell just how knowledgeable these folks are (I am just scratching the surface on the topic, the guys on the subreddit live and breathe this), so I would really recommend u go there and ask em. But just because "I dont need this or that" doesnt mean u should satisfy with less. So dont be like "ehh 256mb ram and a 1 core cpu will do". Try to sound like u want the best, and u will get the best (answers).
     
  4. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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  5. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    Read my reply that guy is giving u bad suggestions
     
  6. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    @Floyd 57, thanks very much for your in-depth reply and advice, but I should have stated initially that I am not a gamer! I have no need for the 'light-show' keyboards or the faster display refresh rates on such notebooks.
     
  7. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    In ur initial reply, all u said is performance and reliability. Well, reliability doesn't really say anything, they are all good laptops with warranty. For this much money u should be covered. So the only thing that u said u want, is performance. So i gave u some of the best laptops spec wise. Just because they are called gaming laptops (because they have top of the line specs for their money gpu included), and you are not a gamer, does not mean you should get some laptop with way inferior specs and call it a day. But ok, you are not a gamer. So we can lower the priortity of the gpu. Rtx 2070 or 3070, they will both do the job right? Even tho i would still get the 3070 if everything else in the laptop is the same, because why not. But that does not mean get random garbage laptops from random sites by people who dont know what they are talking about. If you don't need the faster refresh rates, then maybe higher resolution with hdr and ips (such as the 4K HDR IPS laptop I linked you) will be better for u.

    Oh wait, turns out instead of linking you the 4K HDR IPS laptop, I instead linked you the previous laptop twice. Oops. Here is the link https://allgaminglaptop.com/product...0-pro-gaming-laptop-aero-17-hdr-xc-8us4450sp/

    Yes the price is higher. But you can try to find a deal or similar model. This is just an example.
     
  8. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    Amazon USA laptop listings: 17", Nvidia RTX Graphics, Max price $2K, Listed by price high to low (can change listing order top right of page)

    https://www.amazon.com/s?i=computer...208&rnid=2421885011&ref=sr_st_price-desc-rank
     
  9. Gandalf_The_Grey

    Gandalf_The_Grey Registered Member

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    Thanks for that :(
    Be aware that if you are not a gamer most gaming laptops run hot and loud and should be avoided.
    Look for reviews about the laptop you want to buy eventually.
    Don't save on screen and keyboard if you are using "only" a laptop.
     
  10. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    These are not even the 10th generation of intel cpus, dont even get me started with the gpus. He said performance, not random garbage. These laptops have nothing for themselves that the ones I suggested don't.

    Seriously, imaging paying 2K for this crap

    upload_2021-2-4_22-27-44.png

    For real, this is absolute garbage

    I'd say quite the opposite. Higher performance components would run more quiet than lower performance components under the same load. My 4770k has 4 cores and if u put the cpu load at 100% the fans go full plane-mode. But a 10900K has 10 cores and 20 threads, if we apply the same load that I apply to my 4770K to max it out to 100%, the 10900K would likely be no more than 20-25% load, if even that. That's not even counting the newer optimizations and technologies that newer parts have, meaning they deal better with the same challenges for no extra performance cost (for example, avx2 vs avx cpus).

    And better and bigger fans = quiter fans under same cooling. And of course, he can compare the gaming laptops and pick one that is quieter or with better fans (you can compare them by many characteristics if u follow the reddit links I gave u). And I never mentioned he should save on a screen. And just so u know, gaming laptops have some of the best keyboards out there, because you use the keyboard to game. And like I said, the best place you can ask is that subreddit I gave you, because the people understand a lot and many of em have also read a lot of reviews (that you'd have to read yourself now and it will take you a lot of time, but they have already done so)

    And no offence bro, but I dont want him to get some junk, so I gotta use strong words in order to highlight and emphasize just how important this is.
     
  11. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    Before I give u my personal recommendations (and not just throwing models left and right like the above posts), would u care to share more about ur personal usage of laptops? What do u do on it etc.

    Would u like 1440p or 4K? Would u be willing to sacrifice some performance for that?

    Are you fine with snail 60hz?

    Does laptop speakers or battery life matter?

    Tell me more stuff, I really enjoy finding something specific (it was a hobby of mine, I used to resell pc components cuz I had fun finding them for low prices, not so much for profit)
     
  12. pvsurfer

    pvsurfer Registered Member

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    @Cruise,
    If you work with raw and other uncompressed images in Photoshop you will really benefit from a fast CPU, at least 16GB RAM and a GPU with at least 4GB of dedicated memory. Photoshop can be a resource hog!
     
  13. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    Do you work with photoshop?
     
  14. pvsurfer

    pvsurfer Registered Member

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    Yes, whenever I want to edit my photos.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2021
  15. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    Last edited: Feb 6, 2021
  16. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    Thanks for those tips!
     
  17. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    Ok, so according to your post, gpu does not matter much as you don't play games. Ofc it matters for photoshop and general tasks but there's only so much you can make use of a gpu for photoshop or other not very intensive tasks, so we can lower the priority of that to make room for other more important stuff, like resolution, since you will be watching video and photoshop and higher resolution is very nice, as well as screen quality (IPS, HDR, high color %). Unfortunately resolution is the main factor that adds a lot to the cost of a laptop... meaning you will have to sacrifice something (a lot) for it. Also 4K comes only with 60hz (compared to up to 360hz in 1080p). There are very few laptops that are 1440p or 4K and have any kind of competitive specs. U can find plenty of 1440p or 4K laptops but 98.5% of them have garbage specs for the money, usually integrated or very weak gpu and a decent cpu but still not anywhere near the i7 10750H that is offered as a minimum for this price range.

    So, enough talking, here are my recommendations:

    https://www.newegg.com/p/2WC-000M-001F1
    - this is the budget option, if you can stretch for 200 more its great choice, 1440p QHD 165hz IPS

    https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834233379
    - this is the dream, you probably can't stretch 500 more but if u can find it on deal like wait or maybe buy it monthly (for no extra cost, as long as u pay in time) it's ABSOLUTE KILLER, 4K HDR IPS, top of the line specs, really cant want anything more. What better for watching videos and photoshop and whatnot than a 4K HDR IPS screen?

    https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...rationid=5f6fd07b-3a11-4ef6-9c20-96325e3a80a6
    -only 96 dollars overbudget + u get up to $125 back in "rewards". However, compared to the first link of the 2200 laptop, is it a tough sell. It is 4K 60hz instead of 1440p 165hz, has rtx 2060 instead of 2070 max-q (the 2070 is 35-40% faster in games, meaning 35-40% more fps), has 15% faster cpu in max octa core speed https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-10700-vs-Intel-Core-i7-10870H/4077vsm1322918 , has tobi eye tracking technology, 100% adobe rgb (just like u requested). However, it has only 256gb ssd, if u wanna match the 1TB the $2200 one has, u'd have to pay another $135. Or $45 for 512gb, which should be sufficient (for me even 256gb is, without games). U can also choose to add 1TB hdd for $45 extra. U also have various raid options. The ram for both laptops is the same, but with this one u have the option to add more, or for another $45 make it dual channel 3200mhz + future upgradeable. However, it does not say if the display is IPS or not, so u'd have to research more for that. AND YOU CAN BUY IT MONTHLY for no extra cost if u pay on time, so u can go bonkers with upgrades (like 3200mhz ram that is future upgradeable, extra ssd or hdd etc.)

    And I think for your particular usage, getting a 1080p screen would be an absolute shame/crime, but unfortunately the step up to 1440p or 4K is too big at this price point... The fact that I found 2 laptops that are only slightly overbudget is a blessing, in most places 1440p or 4K with these specs start from 2500-2600 upwards... However I am STRONGLY against 1080p laptop for you. It's either 1440p or 4K or bust (or something in between BUT NOT 1080p).

    These are my 3 quick picks (I did not spent that much time looking cuz I did not have time, but I think these 3 alone beat 99.99% of stuff u can find. I am pretty good at finding stuff heh)

    If I find anything else when I hav emore time I will post it here, so don't rush with buying. That said I searched the entirety of dell newegg and amazon and nothing came even close to the laptops above, but you never know

    EDIT: forgot to say, these are all 17 inch. So that by itself adds many hundreds of dollars to the price compared to 15 inch laptops. If the $2096 laptop was 15 inch, it'd likely cost about $1600-1700 max. That's how much 17 inch adds to the price. And if u dont believe me, go check the 15 inch laptops.

    Also you might wonder, why are you recommending me 1440p or 4K laptops when I said 1080p is good enough? BECAUSE, if you get 1080p, you can easily get 300hz 3ms 1080p screens from the alienware link above (just remove the UHD display option below). But that would be a complete waste because the refresh rate does nothing for you (you said it yourself). So even though we have very few options for 1440p or 4K display compared to the 1080p options that are dozens, I think it's worth it, because it will be a big improvement AND we wont waste all those extra hertz for nothing.

    EDITS for more laptops (updated as I find em) :

    https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/Razer-Blade-Pro-17/RZ09-0368AEA2-R3U1
    - $2300, has rtx 3060 which is about the same performance as the max Q rtx 2070, but newer generation. 165 hz QHD, slightly better cpu (875H vs 870H, 3% faster) than the $2200 choice, the ssd is upgradeable to 2TB but only features 512gb by default (compared to the 1TB of the $2200). Ram upgradeable to 64gb. Does not say if it is IPS. Probably not. With all those things in mind, it having half the ssd space and probably not IPS, I don't see why one would buy it for $100 more than the better $2200 laptop, but leaving it here just in case.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2021
  18. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    @Floyd 57, thanks a lot for the time and effort you have expended in order to help me find a good (if not the best) notebook that fits my needs! I definitely will consider each one of your recommendations, the first of which is a real eye-opener as far as price/performance! I never heard of the brand so I would be concerned about compromising build-quality and tech-support?

    As a Costco member, I just came across this one and would be interested in your take on it: https://www.costco.com/msi-ge75-rai...force-rtx-2060---1080p.product.100568605.html

    Thanks again!
     
  19. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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  20. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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  21. Floyd 57

    Floyd 57 Registered Member

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    Are you trying to save money?
     
  22. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    Don't most of us want/need to do that nowadays? ;)
    Actually, I wouldn't look to be saving money if that compromises my getting a good fit for my needs!
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2021
  23. Scott W

    Scott W Registered Member

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    @Cruise, I'm also a Photoshop user and I'm kind of 'in the same boat' as you, running on an older under-powered laptop. So I've been looking at ordering a new laptop from Eluktronics. It's their new Prometheus XVII which offers terrific performance 'for the buck' no matter how it's configured. Imho, it's base configuration has ample resources to deal with Photoshop 2021 (and it's well within your budget)!

    Being a small 'off-brand' laptop house I was wondering if anyone here has any experience doing business with Eluktronics or other relevant info to share re their products and/or reputation?
     
  24. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    Never heard of Eluktronics - how good (or bad) are their builds? That Prometheus laptop sounds like a very good deal, but not if it's poorly built, resulting in problems!
     
  25. Gandalf_The_Grey

    Gandalf_The_Grey Registered Member

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