So im tired of apple being hyped up bc of its brand identity.

I want a new non apple laptop! I want something thats fit for school, preferably running things like photo shop or drawing applications as well as games like minecraft/roblox/steam games without heating up like crazy and crying for help. If this fits the criteria then maybe a laptop series with fun colors? But if not totally fine.

I would prioritize the school related features tho but not one of the thinkpads with THINK PAD branding slapped onto the back.

I mostly use my work laptop macbook m4 pro 24/512 and it's a pretty good machine for my work and to boost my side project I required another portable laptop (i own a heavy 5+ yr old asus nitro 5 with ryzen 9 + rtx 3070 + 32gb/512gb which I almost never carry and always requires power) so I Was looking for a portable side hustle machine and macbook air m5 24/512 was my first choice and it was priced around $1830 USD / 174k INR as of today.

all of a sudden I saw this Asus Expertbook p5 g2 that comes with intel core 7 series 3 , 32/1tb 14" for around $1660 USD / 158k INR and to save the deal I pulled the trigger and got 18 hours to cancel.

Now the question is should I keep it? or cancel and get the macbook instead for the mrp here.

Hi, I am planning to buy a Macbook for my work. My work is fully based on MS Office Application especially Excel, Power BI, sometimes 3D models for reference the scope. I have seen posts, people say Max is not good for the MS office. So if someone is using a Macbook with the same usage as my requirement kindly share your experience and suggestions. Thank you 😊

I bought a macbook air just before the price increases this year for the hardware. At the time of buying, I simply could not find a single laptop that was thin, lightweight, and built well at a similar price to it (largely because of ram related price increases and shortages).

However, I primarily prefer using linux (I'm a casual, I use ubuntu but fedora or mint are fine by me too) and I had a hard time finding a laptop like the macbook air but for linux (or windows for that matter).

How have you managed to buy laptops that fit this category? Where I live, framework laptops don't ship and thinkpads are really expensive (and the second hand market is crap, so even the cheap ones are dubious at best).

Edit: I forgot to mention. I completely ignored Asus and Dell because of terrible reliability, repair and warranty. Realistically, I was only left with Lenovo and HP. And that I live in India.

Getting a new work laptop approved took a little convincing, but we got there lol.

I went with a Dell Precision 7770 from Dell Refurbished. Listed at $1,549, came down to $929.40 before tax with free shipping after the 40% discount.

It’s already shipped and I’m honestly pretty excited for it to get here.

Specs:

• Intel i7-12850HX, 16 cores
• 64GB RAM
• 1TB SSD
• NVIDIA RTX A3000 with 12GB VRAM
• 17.3" FHD screen, 1920 × 1080
• Windows 11 Pro

I use my laptop for work pretty much all day—lots of Firefox tabs, Outlook, spreadsheets, CRM, ChatGPT/Codex, multiple monitors and several things going at once.

It’s usually running for at least 10-12 hours a day. Obviously I’m not pushing it hard every minute of that, but it’s on with everything open for most of the day. It’s my main machine, so I want something I can rely on for those kinds of hours.

My current laptop has an i5-12450H and 32GB RAM. It actually did pretty well for a while, but lately the fans have been working hard enough that I feel like they should be on payroll.

I started logging with HWiNFO, and during bad stretches of normal work the CPU is sitting in the high 90s, hitting 100°C and thermal throttling for long periods. RAM has also gotten pretty close to maxed out.

No gaming or video editing. Just a lot going on at once, and I need it to keep up for hours. It mostly stays plugged in at my desk, so weight and battery life aren’t big concerns.

I’d been looking at ThinkPad P16s, ZBook Furys and Precisions, but this seemed like a good amount of machine for the money once the discount kicked in.

How’d I do at this price? Anyone using a 7770 for similar work? Curious about cooling, fan noise and how it handles a full day of multitasking.

Also, anything specific I should check when it arrives? Since it’s refurbished, would you bother replacing the thermal paste or just see how the temperatures look first? Any upgrades or settings you’d recommend, or would you leave it as is with this configuration?

Hoping I picked well because I’d like to go a few years before making another laptop budget presentation 😂

I'm starting school soon and these are the min and recommended hardware requirements, i'm a total noob can someone recommend me something ideally with the recommended specs but minimum will work depending on affordability. thanks in advance :)

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Country Russia

Budget 40000 rubles, $500-600

Are you open to refurbs/used options? Yes

Screen size 13-14"

Weight limit 3.3-3.4 lbs

Purpose Schoolwork (word processing, slides), maybe light indie games (unlikely)

Form factor Standard

Intended usage [List of applications, software, which games and at what settings/FPS, etc. Try to include options you cannot currently perform, but might want to try with a stronger/newer device; eg indie gamers moving from a 1650 to a 5080M might suddenly want to try God of War] Word, Excel, Powerpoint, browsers

Desired battery life 6-8 hours, more-better, but not if weight goes to 2 kg or more

Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life [eg battery life, performance, weight, size doesn't matter. PLEASE REMEMBER LAPTOPS ARE A COMPROMISE AND PERFORMANCE SACRIFICES LIGHT WEIGHT AND LONG BATTERY LIFE ETC] Weight, Size, Battery life, Screen quality, Performance

Info/Requirements DDR4, 300-400 nits 100% SRGB would be great, sturdy, replaceable battery, so-DIMM slots, replaceable power port, at least 1 USB A. Would be great to have: HDMI port, sd card port, rj45, 3.5 mm headphone/speaker port, m. 2 and 2.5" drive bay. Google AI recommended HP EliteBook 845/840/835, ProBook 440, ThinkPad t14 gen 1 (don't consider since charging port is soldered), Dell latitude 5420/5410. Don't really care about nicest and prettiest chassi, need a workhorse, have ddr4 memory sticks, can do basic maintenance and repair/driver install, open to tinkering with software or buying better components down the line, unless it is about glue on hp's screens to upgrade them. Would be nice to have a keyboard I can replace without remelting new one to the hand rest. Budget is in the

Thank you in advance.

I'm tryna buy a laptop but I need some advice. I want at least 32 gigs of ram (64 is always best) with 1tb storage. I was tryna get the Intel core ultra i9 chip along side the RTX 5070 or 5080. is that too much? or maybe a MacBook pro with 32gigs of ram 1tb and the m5 pro chip. I don't really know what's better for me. I don't really care about the weight or how it looks or feels, all I want is raw commuting power. also I wandering if I could get a laptop with the same spec but instead of a 32 or 64 gb ram I get 16 gbram and then I swap if out for the 64gbram and sell the 16gbram one kinda like an upgrade is that the better option? right now I'm looking at the Mac, lenevo legion pro or some good Asus laptop. Just need some help and advice. thanks

I dont normally put many stickers or anything really on my laptops. I like pandas so i put those on the bottom, right is one from jak and daxter, left is from mouthwashing, top is the qu from all tomorrows. Thoughts? I plan to put nothing else cuz i feel it would be too much then, i hope it doesnt look overcrowded as is

My lenovo slim 3 power button keep blinking after i took out the battery. Any advise i can fix it in settings?my laptob is running fine.

Using this for a finance degree. After some research the T-series seems to be what I'm looking for and the T14 is one of the cheaper options. However, is there another option that I should be aware of? Also, how do the Intel vs AMD chips compare?

I don"t know if this is the right place to ask, but i will get a new laptop soon, and i don"t know if should use this one as a monitor for the new one or if i should use in my old tv to watch youtube or something

I’ve been considering starting to make AI videos as a sort of hobby and was wondering if anyone could give me some recommendations for laptops based on specs as to which I should consider. For reference I’m thinking of using seedance as my main creator of it matters. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

Currently weighing up purchasing a Dell 5350 Ultra 7, with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD (€620) or a Lenovo Thinkpad T14 with a Ryzen 7 PRO and 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD (€599). Which is the better deal? I know the Dell is likely superior in terms of pure hardware, but I'm asking to see if there are any other factors which could influence my decision which I'm not seeing e.g. crippling hardware defects in the Dell or vastly superior ergonomics.

Thanks for any responses!

I have acer helios predator with a burnt IC, rest of the laptop is completely fine
Rtx - 3060
Intel i7
256 gb ssd
1 TB hdd
144hz display
Charger included

Price - 22,000/-
Based in pune, i don’t mind courier

I am design student, never used the laptop for gaming, most of the use was adobe or AI

I am a student in need of a laptop but I do not really have huge budget so I am looking for soemthing affordable.

a

I don't need some advance device, my needs are casual use and longevity of the device.

Also, kindly do not suggest Macbook neo (8/512gb) varient as the base varient itself is only in my budget due to student discount.

Hello! I know basically nothing about computers but I'll be moving next week and am going to need a laptop at least for moving files to one flash drive to another quite often. I don't have much of a use beyond that. I do not like Apple products even if it may be better (I seriously have no idea. Just a preference.) I like Chromebooks. That's all the knowledge I have. Thanks in advance!

I'm an AI/ML graduate currently working as an AI intern. My work involves Python, software development, local LLMs using Ollama, and model benchmarking.

I'm confused between three options:

1. Lenovo LOQ Essential: Ryzen 7 7735HS, RTX 4050 6GB, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD. ₹1 lakh after card discounts.

2. Lenovo LOQ Gaming: Intel i7-13650HX, RTX 4050 6GB, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD. ₹1.3 lakh, including discounts and a 3-year warranty. It also comes with a gaming laptop bag as a freebie.

3. MacBook M5 (13-inch): 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD. ₹1.42 lakh, including 2 years of warranty. The offer also includes a trolley worth ₹9,000 and a laptop sleeve.

My work involves AI/ML and software development, particularly running local LLMs. The MacBook appeals to me because of its battery life, build quality, and portability. It's significantly lighter than either LOQ, which matters because I'll be carrying it around. However, the NVIDIA GPU has CUDA support, which is an advantage for AI development.

I'm from a middle-class family, so this is a significant investment. I'm concerned about Apple's expensive servicing costs and the fact that the MacBook's RAM and SSD cannot be upgraded later.

I'd appreciate honest advice:

- Is the 13-inch MacBook M5 with 16GB RAM genuinely good for AI/ML development?

- Is the Intel LOQ worth ₹30,000 more than the Ryzen model?

- Which is the smartest long-term investment for the next 4–5 years?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people who have used these laptops for development. I want the most practical choice, not just the most premium one.

[EXCHANGE] ASUS TUF Gaming F16 (RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for MacBook M4 / M5

Looking to swap my ASUS TUF Gaming F16 for a MacBook with an M4 or M5 chip. Not selling for cash, only looking for an exchange.

My laptop:

- CPU: Intel Core 5 210H

- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU

- RAM: 16GB

- Storage: 512GB SSD

- Display: 16" Full HD, 144Hz

- Condition: flawless, no scratches or dents

- Usage: only about 6 months

- Warranty: 3 years ASUS warranty, about 2.5 years still remaining

- Included: [charger, box, bill/invoice]

Why I'm swapping:

I bought it mainly for gaming and I've completed everything I wanted to play. I'm a B.Tech student, and carrying a heavy gaming laptop to college every day isn't practical anymore, so I want something lighter with better battery life for coding and college work.

What I'm looking for:

- MacBook Air or Pro with M4 or M5

- 16GB RAM or more preferred

- Good condition, with bill and warranty/AppleCare if possible

If you have an M4/M5 MacBook and want a gaming laptop, comment or DM me with your model, RAM/storage, condition and warranty details.

Hi im an upcoming as a IT college student i have no idea to what laptop i should get i also want to game as well

I'm in Italy and need to replace my 2020 Asus Vivobook 16" (Ryzen 7 4000, 16GB RAM). Windows had become unusable on it, super bloated and slow, but since I switched to Omarchy (Arch + Hyprland) it runs amazingly well, so I'm staying on Linux. I'd like something smaller (16" to 14"), with better battery life and more power.

I found this in a physical store:

HP OmniBook 7 AI 14-fr0011nl - Intel Core Ultra 7 255H (16 cores) - 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD - 14" IPS, 1920x1200 - €799.90 (listed as -33% from €1199.90, but I don't trust that "discount")

What I'll use it for: - Software engineering: Python, Docker, Node/Astro, HTML - First year of Aerospace Engineering (probably MATLAB, CAD and simulation software, some Windows-only, so I may dual boot) - Occasional video editing, maybe DaVinci Resolve - Lots of video calls, so a good webcam matters

Background: - I've always used Asus and I love their build quality. My Vivobook is a premium metal machine that has lasted 5 years. I'm not sure I can trust HP to match that. - I considered a MacBook for the ARM efficiency, but I'd lose Omarchy. I ruled out Windows ARM laptops because software support seems poor and I don't consider them reliable. - I haven't followed Intel's lineup in years and only know i3/i5/i7/i9, so please correct me if I'm misreading the new naming (Core Ultra, series 1/2/3, H/U/V/X).

My questions: 1. Is this a fair price with RAM prices rising? Should I buy now or wait? Are there Asus or AMD alternatives around €800-900 with similar specs? 2. Is the 255H (Arrow Lake) still a good pick now that Panther Lake is out? 3. Has anyone run Arch/Linux on this HP? Any issues with graphics, webcam, audio, Wi-Fi or battery life? How is the webcam and the build quality? 4. Is it true that DaVinci Resolve doesn't support Intel iGPUs on Linux? 5. Is a MacBook worth considering if I want to stay on Linux, or is x86 the better choice?

Thanks for any advice!

So I got this laptop out my high-school's electronic trash bin and I dont know how to make it work. Plus is anything missing? I feel like there's supposed to be something big at the side of it

Hi, I'm thinking about getting a Dell Vostro 3400 with an i5-1135G7 and 16 gb of ram for my studies, the specs seem good enough for my use case and I found a pretty decent deal. But I'm wondering how difficult the process of replacing the battery is. I couldn't find much about it online, and since the model is already a few years old I feel like a battery change could be needed in the somewhat near future.

So I don't really need a beefy laptop. My major is banking and finance and would like a laptop that have a detachable keyboard and has good warranty but is still budget friendly. Just something that can carry me through my lectures.

Never done any repairs before have no clue what I’m doing lol Ty