New laptop needed - recommendations please

[Shoxt3r]

Hi there,
After a real problem with my last laptop a Dell Inspiron 7577 I'm now looking for a replacement laptop.

My budget is between £900-1,200.

As a Web Developer I'm ideally looking for something which will comfortably run Adobe Photoshop, Visual Studio and do some light video editing too. I may also use the laptop for some gaming so a decent Graphics Card would be welcome. As a guide, my 7577 had a Intel i7 7700HQ processor, 16GB RAM, 1050Ti Graphics Card and a 1TB and 128GB SSD, so ideally I'd be looking for something with a similar spec.

My 7577 was a 15.6" but due to the bezel and number pad it was more like a 17". It was also a heavy beast at 2.7kg.

It does need to be portable as I commute for 4 hours a day (about an hour of this is spent on foot) so maybe a 15" maximum would be good and lighter the better.

Ideally I want to avoid laptops with a similar screen to the 7577 as I have a feeling I'll have the same "white spot" problems. For example the replacement for the 7577 has the same screen setup. Also I want to avoid touchscreens as I'd never use it to it's full potential and would be a waste of budget in my opinion.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[easyrider]

I've just bought his for £981inc you could get the 15” version?

Dell G3 17 - 3779 Gaming Laptop

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-8750H (6 Core, 2.2GHz, 9MB Cache, 45W)

Windows 10 Home (64bit)

16GB (2x8GB) 2666 MHz DDR4 Memory Non-ECC

2 TB 2.5inch SATA Drive (5400 RPM)

256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Graphics with 6GB GDDR5 vRAM

Software- Windows 10 Home

Intel Wireless 9462AC 802.11ac 1x1 WiFi and Bluetooth

LCD Back Cover Non-Touch - Black (With Type C Thunderbolt)

Palmrest with Finger Print Reader - Black

Primary 4-cell 56W/HR Integrated Battery

17.3 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display

Internal UK/Irish Backlit Keyboard

 

[Shoxt3r]

Thanks for the recommendation easyrider!
That's a hell of a spec for £981 including VAT! Where did you pick that up from?

My only thought is that the screen is the same as my old laptop so I could potentially have the same problems again.

In the meantime I've looked at Cyberpower and a range of other laptops but they're all a bit mix-and-match with their component choices - i.e. if you want a decent-sized SSD you sacrifice a graphics card.

If anyone has recommendations though let me know!

 

[Robbie_G]

Hi,

There is currently this on offer - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus...7-8750h-8gb-ddr4-gaming-laptop-lt-25n-as.html

Nice Spec.

May go down more on Black Friday

 

[Shoxt3r]

Thanks for the heads-up Robbie!
However I haven't heard great things in reviews about the Asus....stories of it bricking within a matter of days/weeks

Over the past few days I've been putting together a spreadsheet of the current deals and prices - looking at both custom laptops and pre-built ones - and trying not to be drawn in by the Black Friday offers! It would seem that as is generally the way with technology, the custom laptop prices are fluctuating quite wildly because of the increase/decrease of various computer part prices (I blame it on bitcoin miners personally!).

Anyway, I've narrowed it down to 12 at the moment, with some I'm not sure about highlighted in orange, mainly because it will cost extra to get an OS licence (preference is Windows 10 which I've found on Amazon for about £40 for an OEM disc - I've ordered it twice before) - but also I've looked at value for money and even the ones hovering around the £1,200 mark actually have a good specification to back them up.

As before, I'm ideally looking for a laptop with:
- Good screen (thin bezel, high refresh rate)
- An i7 processor
- Decent graphics card (now started looking at ones with a GTX 1060)
- Good RAM (8GB+ minimum)
- Decent sizes for the HDD (1TB) and SSD (256GB+). If the SSD is large enough though I'm happy just to have that for now

Let me know if you have any questions

The spreadsheet below is open to everyone to view.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k-covj7EAV5znATN-zFI1VcE5VR6YFXaHuU96K7gT18/edit?usp=sharing

Many thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[Wrinkly]

After a sleepless night, my £1500 Asus GL703GS-E5011T turned up today (50yo kid)

The screen (IPS/144Hz) alone is worth the price. Audio quality is impressive. Only niggle would be the 16GB of RAM is supplied as one SODIMM. You may want to add a second to max out the performance. Main usage will be as a development/support machine that I can easily transport to site.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus...-g-sync-i7-8750h-gaming-laptop-lt-254-as.html

• GL703GS-E5011T
• 17.3" G-Sync 144Hz
• 3ms Response
• G-Sync Technology
• Intel Core I7 8750H
• Nvidia GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5
• 256GB SSD
• 1TB (SATA) Hybrid HDD
• 16GB DDR4
• Windows 10 (64bit)
• 2yr Warranty

 

[Shoxt3r]

After a sleepless night, my £1500 Asus GL703GS-E5011T turned up today (50yo kid)

The screen (IPS/144Hz) alone is worth the price. Audio quality is impressive. Only niggle would be the 16GB of RAM is supplied as one SODIMM. You may want to add a second to max out the performance. Main usage will be as a development/support machine that I can easily transport to site.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus...-g-sync-i7-8750h-gaming-laptop-lt-254-as.html

• GL703GS-E5011T
• 17.3" G-Sync 144Hz
• 3ms Response
• G-Sync Technology
• Intel Core I7 8750H
• Nvidia GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5
• 256GB SSD
• 1TB (SATA) Hybrid HDD
• 16GB DDR4
• Windows 10 (64bit)
• 2yr Warranty

Thanks for the reply!
I would probably opt for the 15.6" version myself as the 17 is a little out of budget and a bit too big to transport around (London commuter).

I was wondering how flexible the cover is as I had an Asus ROG STRIX on which the cover flexed badly and it hit the back of the screen? Not ideal when carrying it in a rucksack for quite a bit of the day!!

 

[Wrinkly]

I was wondering how flexible the cover is as I had an Asus ROG STRIX on which the cover flexed badly and it hit the back of the screen? Not ideal when carrying it in a rucksack for quite a bit of the day!!

The top cover is metal, the rest of the case is plastic.

 

[Shoxt3r]

The top cover is metal, the rest of the case is plastic.

Great thanks! Is it solid or does it have some flexibility to it compared to the screen itself?

For example, below is the one I briefly had before returning it, and the middle part where the logo is could be pushed in.

https://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/2017/02/asus-gl502.jpg

**No Hotlinking **

 

[Wrinkly]

Great thanks! Is it solid or does it have some flexibility to it compared to the screen itself?

For example, below is the one I briefly had before returning it, and the middle part where the logo is could be pushed in.

The lid feels rigid, not sure I want to find out how much pressure it takes The illuminated logo is a weak spot though. It's good for a 17.3" screen, but you should get some hands on before considering.

Not the most technical video (older model with 15" screen), but it does show the flex on the lid around halfway. I don't think it supports TB3.

 

[Shoxt3r]

The lid feels rigid, not sure I want to find out how much pressure it takes The illuminated logo is a weak spot though. It's good for a 17.3" screen, but you should get some hands on before considering.

Not the most technical video (older model with 15" screen), but it does show the flex on the lid around halfway. I don't think it supports TB3.

Haha! Thanks for sharing - it looks pretty solid but I'm struggling to find a 15.6" version in budget now

 

[Shoxt3r]

So after much deliberation I've decided to save up further for the Gigabyte Aero - the spec is great, the laptop has shining reviews and generally it seems a fantastic deal. Now to save the dosh...or hope for a massive Cyber Monday deal!

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/giga...50h-gaming-laptop-lt-08s-gi.html?template=amp

 

[Wrinkly]

Budgets are overrated Enjoy!

 

[Doug2507]

Also got the gm501gs at around that price now. V.nice laptop.

 

[Robbie_G]

The aero is at the lowest price it will be. It will continue until the 30th nov.

They are awesome laptops.

 

[Shoxt3r]

The aero is at the lowest price it will be. It will continue until the 30th nov.

They are awesome laptops.

Thanks for confirming Robbie - as I won't be able to get the full amount together any time soon is it likely it will be reduced again in the new year?

 

[Wrinkly]

The aero is at the lowest price it will be. It will continue until the 30th nov.

They are awesome laptops.

Why are these so expensive? For the same price I got a ROG GL703GS. It has 32GB 2666 (dual channel 2x16GB) vs 16GB (single channel), G-Sync vs none, 1070 vs 1060, 256GB NVME+1TB SSHD vs 512 M.2 SATA and 17.3" vs 15.6". The only plus with the Gigabyte is TB, battery life and weight.

 

[Shoxt3r]

Why are these so expensive? For the same price I got a ROG GL703GS. It has 32GB 2666 (dual channel 2x16GB) vs 16GB (single channel), G-Sync vs none, 1070 vs 1060, 256GB NVME+1TB SSHD vs 512 M.2 SATA and 17.3" vs 15.6". The only plus with the Gigabyte is TB, battery life and weight.

I'm guessing it's because Gigabyte sell them as stock for higher amounts so the profit margins are smaller unless they sell them for more. All websites are selling it for the same price aside from one that rhymes with Murrays who sell it for £200 more. Similar to Apple devices, profit margins are minimal so they're nearly always sold at maximum price.

 

[Wrinkly]

I'm guessing it's because Gigabyte sell them as stock for higher amounts so the profit margins are smaller unless they sell them for more. All websites are selling it for the same price aside from one that rhymes with Murrays who sell it for £200 more. Similar to Apple devices, profit margins are minimal so they're nearly always sold at maximum price.

Could be. I've been using Gigabyte for decades and always found their products to be of good quality at a middle of the road price point. Just feels odd to see them price a laptop so high, even though it is very nice. It has been over a decade since I bought a laptop myself, I feel somewhat out of touch hence the question.

 

[Shoxt3r]

Could be. I've been using Gigabyte for decades and always found their products to be of good quality at a middle of the road price point. Just feels odd to see them price a laptop so high, even though it is very nice. It has been over a decade since I bought a laptop myself, I feel somewhat out of touch hence the question.

Yeah when I have bought Gigabyte components they have always been reliable. I guess they have their Sabre range for the lower price points.

To be honest I was pretty shocked when I bought a replacement for my aging Acer just how expensive laptops in general have got. I think a lot of it is to do with price points of the components themselves and by the time you add on prices for chassis they easily top £1,000-2,000 for the average. Notice that there are very few decent laptops for £600-1,000.