Need a laptop for college (filled)

XtrGamer123

Honorable
Dec 2, 2013
3
0
10,510
1. 750$
2. Preferably above 12"
3. 1920*1080
4. Portable (not really picky on portability)
5. 5-6 hours
6. Not at all, integrated graphics is just fine
7. Some photo-editing, coding, AutoCAD and movies
8. >=512GB (hybrid would be nice, I think)
9. NA
10. 4-5 years
11. Don't really need an optical drive
12. NA
13. Will be buying the laptop from US

14.

Priorities:
1. Performance (I'd like an 8th gen i5)
2. Display
3. Build Quality
4. Thunderbolt 3 if I ever want to game in the future

Good speakers and battery life would be nice but they aren't deal breakers.

Unnecessary:
1. Webcam (I don't mind if it doesn't have one)
2. Backlit keyboard
3. Graphics. The worse for gaming the better. Ignore my username.
4. Light-weight

Thanks for reading!

EDIT: I think I'd like a Thunderbolt 3 after all.
 
Solution

aquielisunari

Distinguished


Will there be any video editing, CAD or other productivity tasks? Straight gaming and basic homework?
 

aquielisunari

Distinguished


That's another nice option for you. The IPS panel is great for photographers and others who demand the best color they can find. The one I offered has a TN panel. It's still nice but the IPS panel certainly has its advantages. For about $65 more the OP will get 8GB more RAM, a 1TB HDD in addition to the 256GB SSD, a 7th generation i7 7700HQ instead of an 8th gen i5 8250u and a 15.6' screen instead of a 14". Both nice laptops but the Dell is a better value at the moment.
 

XtrGamer123

Honorable
Dec 2, 2013
3
0
10,510


That looks good, though it's significantly lower than my budget. Can you recommend something a bit more high-end, but still with an integrated card? I don't see the point of buying a laptop with a good graphics card as it is strictly not for gaming.

Instead, I'd like if it had a Thunderbolt 3 port so I could use an external GPU if I ever change my mind about gaming someday.
 

aquielisunari

Distinguished


Because an integrated card borrows system RAM because it doesn't have any of its own. The 1050 is a low end dedicated GFX solution and has its own 2GB of VRAM. It's not a waste at all. The integrated GPU isn't working so the CPU stays a wee bit cooler. If I offered even a 1060 or a 1080, that would be a waste.
 

cpucpu123

Prominent
Jan 11, 2018
40
0
610


The Usual Price for that laptop is 600USD which is quite close to your budget. It's on sale for just 509 now, which is an absolutely great value.

The 750 price-point is is saturated with entry level gaming laptops. Most of the laptops you find at that price will come with discrete graphics for gaming.

The non-gaming laptops at the 750USD price-points currently do not make any sense (in terms of features, hardware etc.) when compared to the Asus.

Thunderbolt 3 ports are really hard to find at this price-point too. It is usually found in ultraportables that cost upwards of $1000.

So.....

1) If you want a laptop without graphics, but with thunderbolt 3, up your budget to 1k.
2) If you play e-sports titles or simple games, get the Acer Swift 3. It has a MX150 which will be good for those types of games even in the future.
3) Get the Asus if you're not playing any games. Use the leftovers from your budget to get an additional m.2 SATA ssd. You can also get another 8gb of ram if you do heavy multitasking.

 
Solution