hey y'all...i know how ridiculous this post it going to sound so bear with me:

i will be the first to admit that i probably do not live the most laptop-friendly life. however, i do need a laptop: the least fussy, toughest, most resilient laptop in existence - if such a device even does exist. i work at a summer camp, which means i need a laptop that a) can conceivably be taken outside/can handle some dirt and b) could survive accidentally being knocked over/having something spilled on it/the antics of children in general. i'm also still a student & someone who enjoys video editing, so i would love something that can handle excel and/or some light editing software without wheezing like a pug walking up a flight of stairs. i'm willing to compromise/adjust to almost any weird feature or device - i just can't handle one more device crashing right before finals/making a dramatic shutdown/basically turning into a pancake because the hinges have worn out. would it be easier to find a dragon than this mythical laptop i am describing? perhaps, but i thought reddit was worth a shot. i'd also love to hear about laptops you DON'T recommend, or any tips for making a device last, because i know i am probably the issue. thank you <3.

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:-
• under $1000 CAD would be ideal, but if you have a good suggestion that's above that range, i'd still love to hear it.
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
• heck yes i am.
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
• see title. unbreakability is key here!!
• How important is weight and thinness to you?-
• not at all. i would become a bodybuilder if that's what it took to get a tough laptop.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
• N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
• would love editing software, but honestly i would change the software to fit the device
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
• N/A
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
• just kick-the-crud-out-of-it durability.
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
• thanks y'alllll

Hi all, looking to purchase a laptop for two jobs.. operating a design business and working as a real estate agent. Will not game on this, but will be running up to 6 programs at any given moment, and will likely have 7-10 tabs open on web browser at any given moment. TIA

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes but new preferred

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Battery life 8+ hours preferred

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Under 5lbs preferred, don’t want it to be too heavy since I travel a lot

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

  LESS than 15”, needs to comfortably fit in a large purse

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Mostly online software - canva, web browsing, plus outlook, excel, word, PowerPoint, adobe Acrobat

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

  Will not be gaming on this laptop

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

  No keyboard requirements, needs to be durable, need a higher quality display, needs to be able to run several programs at once, touchscreen welcome but not necessary

Hi, budget to 400-600 euro for laptop very small, traveling, games Like league of legends, cs2 or others, programming and graphic

Need a laptop for university (commerce and info systems) and I also want to be able to do some light-medium video editing work on the go with after effects & premiere pro (preferably running at the same time)

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: 2500NZD
• Are you open to refurbs/used? yes, but prefer new
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? form factor (14" max), performance, battery life, quality
• How important is weight and thinness to you? very as I'm going to be bringing it around with me day to day
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. 13" preferred but can go bigger
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Video editing (Premiere pro, after effects). Maybe light gaming but I have a pc so its not important
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? N/A
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? N/A
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. :)

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

  $650 usd

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

  No

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

  Performance, build quality, battery life, form factor

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

I prefer something thinner

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

  15.6

• **Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Steam

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

  Probably just the sims 4 at medium settings

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

  Good keyboard, and build quality

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
  • 1400€ buying from Spain
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
  • mostly not, unless it's an amazing deal
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
  • Total prio is quality, second is performance, battery I dont care at all.
• How important is weight and thinness to you?
  • Thinnes is important aesthetically, weight <2kg
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
  • Id like 15-16", 17 is too much
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
  • I do some light raw photo editing, nothing fancy
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
  • I game quite a lot, from GOG to AAA
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
  • Good keyboard, screen and general quality is desired
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  • Laptop won't me moved a lot, will be used as a desktop replacement, office and gaming. But also for couch surfing. I'm looking for some thin metal case with nice screen and above average performance with dedicated gpu. Also got some offers available, would love also you opinion on them:
    • MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1VFG-045XES, 16"QHD+, Ultra 7-155H, 16GB, 1TB, RTX™406 at 1071€
    • ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED 15.6" 3K, Ultra 9-185H, 16GB, 1TB, RTX™ 4060 at 1264€

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

* **Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:**

$1000-$1200, USA. Could maybe go a little higher if needed. 

* **Are you open to refurbs/used?**

 Maybe if there's a really good price and it's from a reputable place, but would prefer new. 

* **How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?**

 Build quality, performance, battery life, form factor.

* **How important is weight and thinness to you?**

 Not super important. I'd mostly be using it at home on the couch.

* **Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.** 

 Some preference for around 15-16" but open to other sizes. Ideally not over 16” though, I think that’s the size of the laptop pocket of my backpack. 

* **Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.** 

 This would mostly be to play the Sims 1, 2, 3, and 4, all their expansions, and a lot of custom content and mods. I would also like to get back into creating and modding for them, so some coding/programming, some Photoshop/GIMP, and some Blender/Milkshape. Nothing too extreme on any of them though. 

I do tend to go down rabbit holes where I get really, really into random tech things sometimes so if possible I would like a computer that's powerful enough to handle some more intensive things, at least on a short-term basis. It doesn't need to be able to handle a huge local LLM model lightning-fast, but maybe a medium one pretty fast and a large one will run if a little slow? Is that reasonable in my price range? If not, don’t worry about it.

Also, I know this is a little silly but I have a bad tendency to have a million tabs open at a time in my web browser which eats up memory like crazy. It really slows down my current laptops with 4gb of ram. I know modern laptops pretty much always have 8+ gb so maybe that can handle it? I thought I’d mention it just in case it affects anything.

* **If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?**

 See above. I would like to aim for the recommended hardware specs for Sims 4 rather than the minimum, if possible. I’d like to be able to play with large worlds and high-poly CC if I can. The recommended specs are as follows:

OS: 64 Bit Windows 10

PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5 (4 cores), AMD Ryzen 5 or better

VIDEO CARD: 1 GB of Video RAM, NVIDIA GTX 650, AMD Radeon HD 7750, or better

MEMORY: 8 GB RAM

HARD DRIVE: 50GB of free space, with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games

DIRECTX: DirectX 11 Compatible

* **Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?** 

 I am a huge data hoarder and I need a lot of storage space. Minimum 1TB, bonus if it can be easily swapped out for a larger HD if necessary, or if another can be added internally. (External hard drives are great, I've got several, but they're not very convenient with laptops.) 

I don’t buy laptops often - right now my newest laptop is a hand-me-down 2012 MacBook Pro, and I’m currently playing Sims 3 on a 2009 MacBook Pro in Bootcamp mode - so I want something that will last. It doesn’t need to be in perfect condition forever, or last 15 years like the Macs, but I would like it to be reliable for several years at least.

I would ideally like it to have multiple usb-3 ports so I can plug in more than one flash drives, external hard drives, external optical drive, etc, as needed - bonus if they are widely spaced or on opposite sides so thicker plugs don’t block multiple slots. At least one USB-C port would be great as well. A nice trackpad would be great so I wouldn’t have to attach a mouse, if possible.

* **Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.**

In a nutshell, I would like something that can play The Sims 4 (and the others - but they have much older, lighter requirements) on the more demanding end.

The laptop needs to have at least 1TB of internal storage, if not more - this is a hard line for me. In fact, that’s actually why I’m making my own post on here - I did search the subreddit for other posters looking for computers to play the Sims, but all the suggested laptops had 500gb hard drives. I’d rather sacrifice a little performance or pay a little more if necessary to achieve the higher storage space.

Also, just to clarify because I know I mentioned Macs a couple times in the post - I’m looking for a PC, not a Mac! I love my MacBook Pros, but they are way out of my price range and PCs are better for playing the Sims anyway.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you in advance for any suggestions and guidance you can provide!

Hello!!! I'm currently an alevel student doing photography. I'd love to be able to work on my photos whilst at home so I need a laptop that will run Photoshop and other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. My current laptop is a really old Lenvo from around 10 years ago and it says it doesn't have enough disk space to run. My only understanding is that the laptop would need at least 8gb ram but I'd ideally like one with 32gb. So, has anyone got any recommendations for laptops that will run Photoshop and is under £450?? I'd rather buy second hand/reconditioned but I'm open to buying a new one. Thanks for any help in advance!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US

  £450 is my budget and I'm buying from the UK

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

  Yes definitely! I'd like to avoid buying brand new if possible...

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

  I'm not bothered

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

  N/A

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

  I need the laptop to run Adobe Creative Cloud, specifically Photoshop and Lightroom

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

A laptop that could also run the Sims 4 would be amazing, but not necessary

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

  Touch screen would be nice but not necessary!

Hello

The laptop would be used for office, YT 4k, web surfing, etc.
I'm hesitating between, lenovo and microsoft.

SL is 50€ cheaper.
Yoga Slim 7X, 32GB/1TB=1600€
SL7 16GB/512GB=1550€
But, I read that yoga has problems with pwm/screen flickering..
Does eye fatigue, headaches, etc. occur if you look at an OLED screen for a long time?

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Yoga-Slim-7x-14-G9-review-Multimedia-laptop-with-Snapdragon-X-Elite-and-great-3K-OLED-display.875964.0.html

Yoga has "only" 90Hz, and SL7 120Hz
I guess it's smoother on SL7, because of 120Hz.

What do you think?
Tnx

this fall im gonna be a college freshman so looking for a new laptop! i'm majoring in applied math and maybe would like to venture into a bit of finance or cs. i'm looking for a laptop that will last me a long time 7+ years. ive heard that sometimes certain programs (esp for STEM majors and like engineering programs) don't run on apple bc of OS but idk if thats true and whether it will be applicable to me. i'm planning to take notes digitally (so if apple, i'll get a laptop and an ipad) or (if non apple, prob touchscreen?? idk if other brands have tablets that are good for note taking) also if you guys have ipad recs please let me know too!!

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:500-1000+ (willing to go outside price range a bit)
• Are you open to refurbs/used?no
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?1. performance 2. idk how to rank the rest
• How important is weight and thinness to you?I'll be carrying my laptop in my backpack around campus so preferably a not too heavy one
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.i don't play games, might do a little video editing but I think I can just do that with apps
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?N/A
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?idt i need anything
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.im willing to get an ipad along with macbook if apple. but i'm also open to non apple products

thank you so much!!!

I am looking for a laptop for university. My price range can go upto 1500 but I would like to stay closer to 1000. I am open to refurbished and used laptops. I need the laptop to be lightweight (under 2kg) and with 5-8 hours of battery life. I need a 14 inch screen. I need the laptop to have a RTX 3050 or better. I like the keyboards of thinkpads but I don't mind using a different one. The only one I found is the lenovo yoga 7 pro but I want to see if there is anything better since that's literally the only laptop I found that checks most boxes.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

Under $2,000

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Performance, battery life, build quality, form factor

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Important. Looking for lightweight

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

n/a

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

No. Mostly microsoft office/browser apps.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

n/a

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Variety of ports, support for multiple monitors

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

Currently have an Acer Aspire 14 and hate it. Just never worked properly. Favorite laptop i ever had was one of the original Surface 2 in 1s. Mostly, I just want to be able to easily use multiple monitors (with a switcher), and something as lightweight as possible as I will be doing a fair amount of travelling.

Hey everyone,

TLDR: I want a compact gaming laptop that I can plug into my Dell Thunderbolt dock and drive three monitors for personal work and some light gaming, without compatibility issues. What models would you recommend that check these boxes?

I’m in the market for a laptop that fits a very specific setup and workflow, and I’d really appreciate your help finding the right one.

My Setup:

At home, I’ve got a workstation provided by my employer, including:

• Three 28" monitors
• Dell WD22TB4 Thunderbolt 4 docking station

Everything runs great with my work gear, and I’d like to reuse that exact dock/monitor setup for my personal laptop instead of duplicating it.

💻 What I’m Looking For:

• Laptop size: 14" (give or take) — portability is key since I travel often
• Primary use: Light gaming (some modern titles, not AAA maxed out), photo editing, productivity, lots of multitasking
• Docking compatibility: Must work seamlessly with the Dell WD22TB4 dock to drive 3 external displays
• Budget: Ideally $1500–$2000 (I can wait for sales if it’s slightly higher)
• Display: Doesn’t need to be big or super bright — I’ll mostly be docked at home
• Port: Needs Thunderbolt 4 or full USB4 with DisplayPort Alt Mode + charging — anything that plays nice with the Dell dock

🤔 What I’ve Considered:

I’ve been looking at the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024 OLED model) — I love the form factor and power, its around $1599 and I’ve seen it go on sale for a few hundred off once in a while. However, it uses AMD with USB 4, and I’ve heard inconsistent results when pairing AMD machines with Thunderbolt docks like the WD22TB4 (especially with multi-monitor setups).

✅ Ideal Features:

• Thunderbolt 4 or highly compatible USB4 implementation
• Good build quality and thermals
• At least RTX 4060 or similar GPU
• 14" screen for portability
• Solid battery life isn’t a must, but a bonus

❌ I’d Like to Avoid:

• Machines with known dock/compatibility issues
• Giant 16–17" gaming laptops
• Overheating or very loud fans

Thanks in advance!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1600 USD
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Yes
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? In order of preference, Build quality, Performance, Battery life, form factor
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Thin yes, weight no
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. 15" or 16"
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. A little photo editing, PSP2020
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? I want to be able to game occasionally...older, less GPU intensive games (Half Life, Far Cry, older versions of CoD). High settings. RTX4060 is likely adequate.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Must allow Thunderbolt power delivery so I can use my Dell USB-C dock, and 2x 4K external displays. I would get a refurb Dell G16, but it doesn't do power delivery. Would really like dedicated numeric keypad
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. Must haves: Win11 Pro, minimum display resolution  2560x1600. I would really like 2x NVMe slots.
  

Help picking out laptop for kid going to college, degree in Optics. All have AMD Ryzen 7. Options are:

Lenovo Ideapad 2 in 1, 14" - $699

https://www.costco.com/lenovo-ideapad-5-14%22-2-in-1-touchscreen-laptop---amd-ryzen-7-8840hs---wuxga-1920-x-1200---windows-11.product.4000253139.html

HP 14" Laptop = $599

https://www.costco.com/hp-14%22-laptop---amd-ryzen-7-7730u---windows-11---16gb-ram---1tb-ssd.product.4000322772.html

Dell Inspiron 15.6" Touchscreen $599

https://www.costco.com/dell-inspiron-15.6%22-touchscreen-laptop---amd-ryzen-7-7730u----fhd-1920-x-1080----windows-11.product.4000262474.html

The Form LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

3000 CHF

Are you open to refurbs/used?

No

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Performance > Silence > Build quality > battery life > Form factor

I would like if possible to avoid the fans to be on at 100% all the time

How important is weight and thinness to you?

No really, I am open to a "transportable"

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

14"

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Machine learning, so I would like some degree of CUDA acceleration (I investigated things like Ryzen AI + RocM, but it doesn't seem to be supported I think a RTX 4060 mobile should be sufficient

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

n/a, I might play Factorio / Civ VII on it, but that should be fine

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Linux compatibility (with Arch), I plan to use WSL2 + Arch

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

So far I saw the Dell XPS 16 that seem to match this. I am a bit confused with recent Mobile CPUs, in particular as both AMD / intel seem to have multiple range I'd prefer to stick with Lenovo / Dell / HP as I think my wife has education rebates for those I absolutely DO NOT want a macbook Pro

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
€2000 max — France (or Europe-wide delivery if the model is unavailable locally)

Are you open to refurbs/used?
Preferably new. I’m open to certified refurbished if the condition and warranty are solid.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
Performance > Display quality > Battery life > Build quality > Form factor (ideally an ultrabook)

How important is weight and thinness to you?
Fairly important — I’ll be carrying it daily, so portability is a factor (light and compact preferred).

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
14 inches (ideal balance between portability and usability)

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
No heavy creative work or gaming. I’ll be running multiple virtual machines (VMware/VirtualBox), cybersecurity tools (Kali Linux, Wireshark, Burp Suite, etc.), and occasionally coding/compiling.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
Not a priority. I don’t need a powerful GPU as long as it doesn’t throttle the CPU.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
A high-quality display (preferably OLED or high-resolution) is important. I’d also appreciate a comfortable keyboard and reliable battery life. Not a fan of classic “corporate” designs like ThinkPads. Modern and sleek design preferred.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
I’m starting cybersecurity studies and need a laptop that will support intensive multitasking (e.g., multiple VMs). I want something durable and powerful enough to last me at least 5 years. I’ve looked into ZenBooks and MSI models like the Prestige 14 Evo, but I’m open to any strong alternatives you can suggest. Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I’m about to start my studies in cybersecurity, and I’m currently looking for the ideal laptop to support my academic work and personal projects. Here are my main requirements:

• Maximum CPU performance: I need to run multiple virtual machines and pentesting tools simultaneously. The processor must be top-tier and never hold me back (ideally paired with 32GB RAM in a high-end configuration). The GPU is not a priority as long as it doesn’t negatively impact CPU performance.
• High-quality display: A great display is essential (ideally OLED with high resolution) to ensure visual comfort during long work sessions.
• Portability: I’d like something I can carry around daily, preferably around 14 inches.
• Battery life & design: It should last a full day on battery, and I’m also looking for a sleek, modern design that feels reliable. I’m personally not a fan of the classic, corporate ThinkPad look.
• Repairability & upgradability: This isn’t a main priority, but being able to replace components like the battery or SSD would be a nice bonus.
• Long-term reliability: I’d like the laptop to last at least 5 years, ideally more, without becoming outdated or struggling with performance.

Models I’ve been considering:

• ZenBook: From what I’ve read, ZenBooks offer solid overall performance and good value. However, I’ve also seen quite a few negative reviews on some forums, which makes me hesitate.
• MSI: MSI laptops (like the MSI Prestige 14 Evo or newer models) seem to have great CPU performance on paper, but I’m struggling to find high-end configurations from official sellers in my region.

Summary:
I’m looking for a 14-inch ultrabook, high-end configuration (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, top-tier CPU, good display), with a max budget of €2000. I’d really appreciate your recommendations or feedback based on your experience with similar use cases.

Thanks in advance for your help!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

Preferably under $1000 but realistically am willing to go up to $1200

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yeah, even open to buying parts separately if the process isn’t too risky

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

From most to least important, build quality, form factor, battery, performance

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Not a deal breaker but I’d prefer something under 3.5 lbs

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

13 - 14”

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Not at the moment, might potentially use an Inkscape-like program to draw maps in the future though

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

N/A

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

I’m pretty careful (I’ve been using a Surface Book 1 that I bought new up until now), but I’d prefer something that isn’t fragile. I’m not too picky about keyboards but I also do most of my hobby programming on the ThinkPad my work gave me (don’t use the trackpoint tho), so maybe I would be more particular if I switched over to my personal. Don’t care about finger-print reader, and as far as IO I mostly just want it to be durable (I don’t use a docking station for example); maybe an HDMI would be nice. Webcam and mic just need to be good enough to handle an occasional video call, I don’t care if I’m a little grainy. USB-C charging would be preferable, physical kill switch for cam and/or mic would be a nice-to-have. Repairability would also be cool; I don’t necessarily need to be able to do it all myself a la Framework but certainly don’t want a MacBook. Dual drive would be a nice touch since I’d like to use Linux for as much as possible and then dual boot Windows for the tools I can’t get on Linux (Ableton primarily). If I am dual booting I suppose coreboot would also be nice but now I’m just getting fancy

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

My use case is mostly gonna be web browsing and light programming, with perhaps a bit of amateur music prod. Battery life doesn’t need to be stellar since I live in a big city and outlets are everywhere, but preferably more than 4 - 5 hours with standard usage. Some options I’ve stumbled upon while searching around: - ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 - Framework 13 - System76 Lemur Pro 14 Gen 11 - Tuxedo Infinitybook 14 Pro Gen 9 - HP Elitebook (various kinds)

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$1999usd

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

  Yes but prefer not

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

1. Build quality
2. Battery
3. Would love 2 in 1

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

  Prefer lighter but not a deal breaker

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

  Prefer larger but understand 2 in 1s are smaller

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

  Very light video/photo editing

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

  No gaming

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

I’m clumsy so need decent build. I have an old Lenovo that is still usable but the case is cracked from being dropped (by someone else) and from being in a car accident.

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I am having choice overload - adhd brain. I prefer minimum 32 gig memory and 1.0 tb ssd. I love my Lenovo and would definitely get another, but am open to other things. I’ve considered the surface pro, ASUS zenbook duo, and more. I do want something that doesn’t run too hot but know I can get cooling mats and stuff. I want a laptop that would make it easy to share my display with my partner.

I’m definitely open to clarifying questions and suggestions. Thanks.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

  I’m comfortable spending up to $1000.

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

Sure!

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Performance, battery life, build quality, form factor

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Not important.

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

I’ll be using it with a monitor 90% of the time so it isn’t particularly important.

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Steam/MO3? I feel like I’m answering this incorrectly.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

I play a heavily modded Skyrim on my current setup and would love to be able to run Final Frontier, BG3, etc. I think I’m playing on pretty low settings at the moment but I just want it to be able to run lol.

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Backlit keyboard is VERY helpful as I have visual issues, but if you know the perfect laptop and it doesn’t have this feature, it isn’t a dealbreaker!

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I’ve had two Acer Aspire 5s in the last five years and they were nice little machines for their price point, but the keyboard shit out on the first one and my current one is having charger/battery issues that there doesn’t seem to be an actual solution for. Mostly looking for something a little nicer that will last me longer. I’m looking for a laptop rather than a desktop PC because I do occasionally have to travel with it.

Thank you very much for your help in advance!

Basically I'm looking for a Windows-based equivalent to a Macbook.

• 15-16" screen.
• Good build quality with a minimal & clean look.
• Reasonably light weight.
• GeForce GPU - This is required, but it can be weaker like a 4050 or something.
• Doesn't have obnoxious fan noise all the time.
• Must be able to be charged & run via USB-C only. I have a 150w GAN charger and I want to completely eliminate the traditional laptop power brick.

The rest of the specs aren't as important.

Here's the rest of the form questions:

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $2-3k / USA
• Are you open to refurbs/used?: YES
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? Light 3D and editing.

Appreciate any guidance!

Hi everyone!! I’m a college student looking for a new laptop to replace my MacBook. I really have been wanting to switch to Windows. My main needs are a laptop that I can carry around with me at college without it being too bulky or too draining in terms of battery life. But I also need it to be able to comfortably and effectively run the Adobe Suite, specifically Premiere Pro. I’m a film and marketing student, so video editing is a part of my day-to-day. I’d also like to be able to use it to casually play the Sims or Minecraft if I feel like it. Nothing too crazy, just need it to do the job and mainly get my schoolwork done.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

Anything under $1000 (in the US)

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

  No. I need it to last me through grad school.

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

I don’t necessarily need a 2-in-1, since I have an iPad. I just don’t want it to be all that clunky, since I’ll have to carry it around a lot. I also would like a decent battery life, and for it to be able to run Adobe and some games, since I’ll be using it for mainly schoolwork.

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Again, portability is important to me. If it could be decently thin and light, I would be very grateful. But I also don’t want it to break or nothing.

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

I’m coming from a 2017 13in macbook pro so I’m not really big on screen size. Any size will do.

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

I wanna be able to run the Adobe Suite on there, since I’ll be doing video editing and some gaming (Minecraft, Sims, etc.) I also want it to be able to run Microsoft Office / 365 since y’know. Windows. As long as I can get through schoolwork and editing without it overheating too much and a decent battery life, I’m okay.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

  I wanna be able to play Minecraft and Sims 4. I’m not really a huge gamer, per se. I mainly do it for fun, but it would definitely be nice if I could smoothly run those without yk. My computer exploding. I wanna be able to play with mods and texture packs and whatnot as well. Nothing too crazy.

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

  I would love for it to have a reliable build quality. I’m gonna be carrying it around A LOT so I’d like it to be pretty durable, lightweight, and have at LEAST a 16GB RAM. Also if it could have a decent battery and cooling system, that would be great. I want it to last me awhile, if I’m spending this much. I’ve had my macbook for 9 years so I’m sorry if my longevity standards are a bit high

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

  Sorry if that’s an impossible ask, but I trust y’all to work your magic :))

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

·       Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$1000 USD – I’m a little flexible here, especially if it’s something that will last for years

·       Are you open to refurbs/used?

I’d rather have new, but if the price is right, I’d consider options

·       How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Portability is the most important aspect, then build quality and battery life. Performance isn’t really an issue, as long as it can handle some basic photoshop tasks.

·       How important is weight and thinness to you?

Weight and size are the most important aspect. This needs to fit in a camera bag, so I’m looking for something super small.

·       Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

The smaller the better. 13” is probably as big as makes sense.

·       Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Photoshop, but not heavy use, just basic tasks.

·       If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

N/A

·       Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

It absolutely must have an SD card slot or MicroSD card slot. And it absolutely must use USB-C for charging.

·       Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I’m in need of a very mobile windows machine for my photo editing workflow. I’ve been using an older LG Gram for a while, but it’s starting to show its age. I’m not too concerned about performance, since this is mostly for quick sorting/basic editing. I have a desktop for heavier tasks. But it absolutely must have a card slot (SD or MicroSD) and it absolutely must charge via USB-C. What is the smallest/lightest option that hits those requirements? I’ve been looking at the ASUS ProArt PZ13 ($1090), but I don’t know what else is out there.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: 6k-8k HKD ~ 1000 USD

Are you open to refurbs/used? Nope.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

1. performance 2. battery life 3. build quality
2. form factor

How important is weight and thinness to you? any is fine, but preferably thin to carry around

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. preferably 15.6” but 14” is fine too

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. i will do some video editing, coding with VS and some light gaming like sims4.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and the Sims 4. Id like to play them at at least 30 fps, but as long as they’re playable I’m alright.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

not a too loud keyboard

Hi guys! Need some recommendations for a laptop. I’m going back to school this upcoming semester and would like something lightweight with good fps to game. I would also like good battery life if possible. I only usually play stardew, Minecraft, and the sims, so I don’t need anything too crazy. I have a $1000 budget. I’m sure I can find something nice in that range, but I can go a couple hundred outside the budget if it’s really necessary lol. I’m not really sure what I’m going to school for yet, so I’m just starting with something I can take notes on and do schoolwork with. This is my first time posting anything on Reddit so I don’t really know how to format this. If this isn’t enough information lmk! Thank you!