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Question

Help finding the right Laptop

Mar 9, 2017 1:52PM PST

Hi ladies and Gents,

I am going to uni in September and I need a little help in finding the right laptop.
I would like a windows.
To : ( in order of importance )

1. Documenting
2. Watch films
3. Powerpoint
4. Light gaming
6. Light video editing

I searched on the internet and found that the dell inspiron 15 gaming with an I7processor corresponded pretty well, but I am open to any other propositions ( my budget is around 1400dollars )

Thanks in advance for any advice and help

Discussion is locked

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Answer
It's a common question.
Mar 9, 2017 2:02PM PST

At the top of this forum are laptop pickers but for college you need to pose that to your college. They usually have a short list and sometimes, a deal with 4 year warranty that I don't know about.

CNET's XPS favorite is my choice here.

https://www.cnet.com/news/the-best-laptops-you-can-buy-right-now/ has models that will easily fit your list.

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Answer
You don't have demanding requirements.
Mar 9, 2017 10:00PM PST

An i7 with a dedicated graphics card will be quite nice but somewhat costly in terms of price and battery life. That being said, if you have the money, then go for it. You only live once.

I personally think the business grade laptops are great. They are typically of higher quality and easier to service when compared to the consumer grade units these days. More and more are going more unibody. They look nicer and are probably cheaper to assemble but lack access panels for repairs or upgrades. A Dell Inspirion will not be nearly as easy to service or upgrade as a Dell Latitude. If you really want to go for the gold,, get a Dell Precision.

I work on these things so probably have more of a focus on how easy it is to service. My opinion is that swapping a hard drive should take 5 minutes (maybe) and not involve the complete disassembly and reassembly of the laptop. I do charge by the hour because I never know what I will find. Some are quick and simple while others are quite complex. The consumer oriented products are more complex to service than the business/commercial grades.

Conor