General value business laptop

[champ222]

Hi guys

Looking for a new laptop for work for product demos.

Doesnt need to be anything special, would like 256GB SSD, an i5, and a full HD screen. needs network port, proper USB and some video outputs. 4GB ram is fine. Windows 10 home or Pro is fine

My boss was looking at some Latitudes on the dell website. the inspiron i'm using here is nothing special at all, so i thought i'd look at other options.

Budget is up to £600 ish. IPS display would be nice, for demos when not using a projector etc, as the viewing angles would help in this regard, but i suspect will not happen at this budget?

looking around, i have the following:

Lenovo V130, 8GB, 256GB i5 7200U, Intel HD 620
Lenovo V330, 8GB, 256GB i5 8250U, intel UHD 620
HP 250 G6, 8GB, 256GB, i5 7200U, Intel HD 620
HP 14-bs100na 4GB, 256GB, i5 8250U, intel UHD 620 - IPS according to the specs, though it varies as i look about

I'm sure there other options about, but is there a stand out good or bad option at this price range?

Thanks

 

[thenewoc]

These are my short list which are all AMD since that's the way I want to go and all have 8GB, 256GB, Ryzen 5 2500U.

Lenovo ThinkPad E585 20KV, 15.6" (1920x1080), Win 10 Pro, is good value if you google around and you need the Windows 10 Pro. Just a bit over your budget.

HP 14-cm0011na, 14" (1920x1080), Win 10 Home, 2 year guarantee. Well under your budget.
Dell Inspiron 15-5575, 15.6" (1920x1080), Win 10 Home, 2 year guarantee. Just under your budget.
Huawei MateBook D, 14" (1920x1080), Win 10 Home. Not yet released in the UK.

 

[champ222]

Thanks for that. I know that if i suggest AMD, by boss will want to stick with intel. I'm not that bothered either way. your suggestions seem varied though, so are they all much of a muchness at this price point?

thanks again

 

[Vince]

Got to put it in here as i picked one up the other day and it is a really lovely machine, it's like a mini spectre which is my every day machine. I really liked it:

HP EliteBook 745 G5 Ryzen 5 2500U 8GB 256GB Radeon Vega 14 inch.

There is an i5 version as well which if I remember rightly was actually a bit cheaper.

 

[thenewoc]

Got to put it in here as i picked one up the other day and it is a really lovely machine, it's like a mini spectre which is my every day machine. I really liked it:

HP EliteBook 745 G5 Ryzen 5 2500U 8GB 256GB Radeon Vega 14 inch.

There is an i5 version as well which if I remember rightly was actually a bit cheaper.

Looks pretty decent with it having w10 pro in that price, is the keyboard backlit?

 

[Vince]

Looks pretty decent with it having w10 pro in that price, is the keyboard backlit?

Yes it is.

 

[thenewoc]

Yes it is.

Nice, thanks for sharing, should get it for 625.56 if I get the TCB plus i put it on a CC with 2 years left of 0% interest.

Nice deal with it also having 3 year warranty.

I take it, it has a privacy feature to reduce what people can see if they're sitting next to you too?

Does it have a touch screen, the description suggested not but another site had a picture showing that it was?

 

[Vince]

Nice, thanks for sharing, should get it for 625.56 if I get the TCB plus i put it on a CC with 2 years left of 0% interest.

Perfect little deal that. I was buying the g4 up until recently which was Bristol ridge based but these are just nicer in every conceivable way. Nicer chassis, nicer gpu, brilliant little webcam slider. Just all round lovely machine

 

[Vince]

Nice, thanks for sharing, should get it for 625.56 if I get the TCB plus i put it on a CC with 2 years left of 0% interest.

Nice deal with it also having 3 year warranty.

I take it, it has a privacy feature to reduce what people can see if they're sitting next to you too?

Does it have a touch screen, the description suggested not but another site had a picture showing that it was?

The version I have does not have a touch screen but there is a version with it I think.

Not sure on any privacy features but then I haven't seen a laptop that does have any.

 

[thenewoc]

The version I have does not have a touch screen but there is a version with it I think.

Not sure on any privacy features but then I haven't seen a laptop that does have any.

The one i've gone for is 3UP50EA. That's cool that it doesn't have the touch screen as that is a slightly heavier model. The privacy feature I think is an optional screen so probably a different model too, (HP Sure View Gen2).

Originally I went for a HP 250 G6 7th gen i7 but it was miss sold to me as having w10 pro and it wasn't that good thermally as it would ramp up the fans with doing very little. The only way to get w10 pro supplied on one of them is to go for the models with the optical drive which makes them a heavier proposition, otherwise it's over £100 to do an in place upgrade direct from Microsoft.

 

[Vince]

The one i've gone for is 3UP50EA. That's cool that it doesn't have the touch screen as that is a slightly heavier model. The privacy feature I think is an optional screen so probably a different model too, (HP Sure View Gen2).

Originally I went for a HP 250 G6 7th gen i7 but it was miss sold to me as having w10 pro and it wasn't that good thermally as it would ramp up the fans with doing very little. The only way to get w10 pro supplied on one of them is to go for the models with the optical drive which makes them a heavier proposition, otherwise it's over £100 to do an in place upgrade direct from Microsoft.

I think you will really like this one then as although i've not had a look at the 250 i've had the 430 g4, 440 g4 and the spectre i7 kaby/Vega M GL and id put the 745 G5 and Spectre in a different league to all of machines mentioned above, they just feel more modern and slick. Granted the spectres thermals under gpu load are poor but other than that the machine is really lovely. The 745 doesn't have those thermal issues as it's vega uses ddr4 system memory whereas the spectre has 4gb hbm2, the vega in 745 is also not close to Vega M GL, even so for business use the 745 is probably up there with the best all rounders.

I really like what hp are doing with their new lines they really do have that classy look and feel and are even starting to rival the likes of apple on battery life. I can do a full day of 8 or 10 hours on my spectre if I am not having a mad day in photoshop or really heavy day in sql management studio/visual studio. I don't think I have ever owned a windows based laptop before that I could say that about.

 

[champ222]

Hi All

I cant find an elitebook with an i5 for anything close to budget.

Looking to go for the HP 14-bs100na 4GB, 256GB, i5 8250U, intel UHD 620, which doesnt seem to have a name (elitebook, probook, pavilion etc) and it just an HP Notebook.

Anyone have any thoughts about this one in particular?

thanks

 

[thenewoc]

Hi All

I cant find an elitebook with an i5 for anything close to budget.

Looking to go for the HP 14-bs100na 4GB, 256GB, i5 8250U, intel UHD 620, which doesnt seem to have a name (elitebook, probook, pavilion etc) and it just an HP Notebook.

Anyone have any thoughts about this one in particular?

thanks

You'd have to go Ryzen to get in that budget with an EliteBook, like the 745 G5.

The "HP 14-bs100na" has 4GB RAM and Win 10 Home. It's probably more aimed at consumers than the EliteBook. The EliteBook can be had for about £70 more and gets you at least an extra 4GB RAM and W10 Pro.

 

[thenewoc]

I think you will really like this one then as although i've not had a look at the 250 i've had the 430 g4, 440 g4 and the spectre i7 kaby/Vega M GL and id put the 745 G5 and Spectre in a different league to all of machines mentioned above, they just feel more modern and slick. Granted the spectres thermals under gpu load are poor but other than that the machine is really lovely. The 745 doesn't have those thermal issues as it's vega uses ddr4 system memory whereas the spectre has 4gb hbm2, the vega in 745 is also not close to Vega M GL, even so for business use the 745 is probably up there with the best all rounders.

I really like what hp are doing with their new lines they really do have that classy look and feel and are even starting to rival the likes of apple on battery life. I can do a full day of 8 or 10 hours on my spectre if I am not having a mad day in photoshop or really heavy day in sql management studio/visual studio. I don't think I have ever owned a windows based laptop before that I could say that about.

Do you know please whether the USB-C port carries data or is it just for charging? I'm just wondering what options there are for a dock.

 

[Vince]

Do you know please whether the USB-C port carries data or is it just for charging? I'm just wondering what options there are for a dock.

Carries data. Personally I use this dock.... search: USB3SDOCKHDV its a startech dock, plug in one usb and away i go. The usbc is data only not lightning, the spectre has lightning so you can charge on one of those ports as well or charge your phone when the machine is off etc.

There is also a DP/HDMI version of that dock which im using in places. Ive been using one of those for 3 years and it just works.

 

[Vince]

Hi All

I cant find an elitebook with an i5 for anything close to budget.

Looking to go for the HP 14-bs100na 4GB, 256GB, i5 8250U, intel UHD 620, which doesnt seem to have a name (elitebook, probook, pavilion etc) and it just an HP Notebook.

Anyone have any thoughts about this one in particular?

thanks

wooo there soldier... ill grab up the email with my quote Edit: Yep so I was wrong, all he said was the i5 units may come in cheaper and then quoted me all AMD.

 

[thenewoc]

Carries data. Personally I use this dock.... search: USB3SDOCKHDV its a startech dock, plug in one usb and away i go. The usbc is data only not lightning, the spectre has lightning so you can charge on one of those ports as well or charge your phone when the machine is off etc.

There is also a DP/HDMI version of that dock which im using in places. Ive been using one of those for 3 years and it just works.

Cheers will check that out and compare with the thunderbolt dock G2.

Unwrapped the EliteBook 745 G5 last night and you're right it does exude quality. Glad the lid didn't have the stripe on it like I'd seen in some pics. Feels very solid, keys seem nicely held, not rattly like cheaper chicklet keyboards. It's almost identical size to my work Toshiba portege but I think that is 13.3" display. It's leaps and bounds ahead of the 250 G6 which I think is more their value line and total plastic affair. It feels a touch heavier than the portege. Touchpad is buttery smooth and buttons are nice soft click. Definitely feels like this would cost more and is currently a lot more direct from hp.

Need to connect to internet tonight and get it updated.