Small budget effective computer - Big Data

[Karta]

Hello,
I would like to ask for advice when choosing a laptop. I need to change my old laptop for another one and I have some requirements. I would like it to be a convertible laptop. I often travel, so it must be light and not so big (14 inches?). I often works on a large amount of data and must be relatively efficient and fast. With additional advantages, it's great if it had a backlit keyboard and long time work on battery.
The price can not exceed 600 pounds, but I will consider the suggestions altogether.
I am waiting for a response, thx.

 

[EsaT]

14 inches is definitely max if you want well portable device.
But that price will definitely limit some things:

• In cheaper device you won get best battery lifes.
  
  Especially those with separate GPU have challenges in keeping idle consumption low.
  Though in that price level you don't get much separate GPUs.​
• And shouldn't be surprise that more performance oriented CPU, instead of laptop optimized one, would be bad for battery life...
  
  If you could find higher performance CPU from budget laptop.
  In fact many cheapest laptops don't even have proper Core-serie CPU (Ryzen is also good) but some crippled CPU, or very low power tablet model.
  For Intel 7xxx serie there aren't much of quad cores:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaby_Lake#Mobile_processors
  in 8xxx serie it's easier to find quad core:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaby_Lake#List_of_Kaby_Lake_R_processors​
• Also keyboard backlight might not be common in cheap model keyboards.
  
  For example Lenovo Yoga's don't much advertise it.​

13,3" ThinkPad L380 Yoga can be customized with backlight keyboard.
https://youtu.be/JHFmAxzWZVs?t=6m40s
ThinkPad keyboards are also considered to be among best laptop keyboards, if that's important. And after getting used to it TrackPoint is very nice, when you can't use separate mouse.
Price just is likely over, even for dual core CPU. (there are cheaper non-convertible ThinkPads)
Though there are likely going to be 15% discount codes for Lenovo page nearer Christmas.
At least there's now for Lenovo Finland, like there was in BlackFriday/CyberMonday time when I ordered X1 Yoga.

Also bigger SSDs cost lot.
Likewise for over 8GB of memory.
Though awfully many cheaper laptops are with miserable 4GB.


Asus has Flip in model name of devices which are convertible.
Though many models seem to be with basically tablet CPU, or couple generations old dual cores.

Dell has "2 in 1" in end of product name, but it's hard to search for list of those models.

HP again has x360 in name of convertibles.
Chromebooks are with tablet CPUs and Pavilion is cheap consumer line also with weak CPUs and lower than 1920x1080 displays.

Lenovo used to have consumer aimed Yoga line being pretty much all convertibles, but there are now standard "clamshell" laptops in Yoga line.
(in ThinkPads Yoga in end of name means convertability, but except for L380 they're way above budget)
Yoga 520/530 line might give something for cheaper than ThinkPad, but those are with soldered memory you can't expand if wanting later.

 

[Karta]

Thanks for answer
In that case, it's possible that I'll have to go a bit higher with the price if I want a high-performance computer.
I have to think about it.
Thx