Device for University

BrainWaves on 21/11/2016 - 21:53

Hi OzBargain,

My friend is after a high end laptop/device for university. He will be using it as part of his engineering degree, which will engender programming/coding related tasks/assignments/pracs and he also intends to play around with Linux, Ubuntu etc.

Also, he intends to use it for the entirety of his university degree, being approximately 3-4 years and ideally he would like to use it beyond that. Ideally, he doesn't want to spend more than 3k and just wants something that will do the job well and of course, last a while.

The specifications that he is mainly after are:

CPU: Maxed out i5 OR i7
RAM: 16GB (min)
HDD/SSD: 500GB+ HDD OR 512GB (SSD)
GPU: 2GB+

Appreciate it fellow OzBargainer's!

Computing

Comments

  • trustnoone on 21/11/2016 - 22:25
    +1

    Like with 3k pretty much any computer at 2k+ will be able to run anything they need for an engineering degree. In fact I did a large part of mine off a Samsung Windows Tablet lol. I got an I7, 256gb SSD + 1tb HDD, Nivida 670mx like 4 years ago for under 2k (Asus ROG laptop) and really love it still. If I had that cash I might go for an Asus G752VS https://www.asus.com/au/Notebooks/ROG-G752VS/ which is like $2919 on MSY.

    CPU: Intel 6th Gen. Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz(Turbo 3.5GHz)
    RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM
    HDD: 256GB SSD + 1TB SATA (if its like mine it has 2 harddrives in it)
    Graphic: Nvidia GTX 1070M Graphics 8GB Dedicated VGA
    Screen: 17.3” FHD LED Screen(1920X1080)

    This isn't exactly the best value for money though and my laptop is pretty heavy. But hopefully some other people can give you some other laptops that would suit well as well to make a better informed decision.

  • songford on 21/11/2016 - 22:28
    +2

    Wow.

    3k can basically buy out anything other than very high end Apple Macbooks nowadays. The new MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touchbar is maxed out at $2999, and if he has a preference over Windows, Dell XPS 13 or Thinkpad X1 Carbon sits comfortably below $3000.

    I personally won't consider anything larger than 13' since I think they start to become a pain to move around beyond that size. I am also not considering any bulky/heavy options since I am expecting him carrying this laptop with him everyday and jumping from classroom to classroom. Powerpoints can be scarce on campus so that it has to have good battery capacity to survive through a modest day. In all combined Ultrabook is the way to go.

    Is he planning to do gaming on his laptop? Also, some of his requirements are potentially contradicting with each other. A Unix-based system such as macOS or Linux will do good on programming generally (unless he plans to do .NET, in that case Windows is the way to go), but most engineering softwares only offer Windows version or only run natively and the best on Windows. From his tone I don't think he is VERY tech-savvy, so Linux is not really an option for daily use.

    In this case, maybe buy a new MacBook Pro? It will most certainly stay healthy and capable before he grows tired with it. And plus, he can boot camp it with Windows/macOS, so in this way he gets the most coverage.

    Just my 2 cents.

  • scrimshaw on 21/11/2016 - 22:39
    +1

    You could try the ThinkPad T series or the P50 portable workstation if the discrete GPU is a strict requirement
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/277092

  • ProspectiveDarkness on 21/11/2016 - 23:20
    +2

    I usually recommend Macbooks or Surfaces for uni students (and they're the two most popular devices I see around uni), due to the reliability and longevity of the former and the utility of the latter, but neither really meshes well with the specs and budget you're after. The closest would be the Surface Pro 4 i7, 16GB, 512GB for $3059 (excluding Type cover)… but I'd be hesitant about opting for a powerful tablet due to thermal constraints of the form factor.

    If your friend is married to those specs, my next best recommendations would be the new Dell XPS 13 for $3000, or a slightly older XPS 15 also for $3000. The latter fulfills the GPU requirement, but since you didn't mention any game-playing, I'm wondering if it's necessary or if he just think it's necessary. Personally, I think either of these would be the best option, since they're powerful, right on budget, reportedly well built, and, as songford says, light and portable for uni use, with decent battery life. Disregarding budget I would've recommended a SurfaceBook for the added utility of the 2-in-1 form factor, 3:2 display and pen support, but the closest match is quite expensive at $3800, so maybe not.

    Powerful laptops are always frustrating to search for, they're a much smaller market and there's usually a compromise or two in the choices somewhere. It's a shame he isn't interested in a desktop - so much easier to find a good combination since you can just choose it all yourself. But ah well.

  • activ8newbs on 22/11/2016 - 00:52
    +1

    I just picked up a Dell XPS 13 for 1699 from Dell. (Yet to Arrive). It has everything you need except only 4gb of 8 gb of ram. Sorry I can't remember.

    Trade Off: Beautiful looking, edge to edge display, incredible battery (12-14 hours), super light weight, less than 1 inch thick, thunderbolt port vs only 4gb of ram (Potentially 8gb).

    I know though, that with the XPS, the ram is soldered on, which means it can't be upgraded afterwards, which really sucks!

    Goodluck.

  • havebeerbelywillsumo on 22/11/2016 - 03:31
    +1

    OP, you need to put in screen/vid requirements, it is unclear whether the (prac?) course has a need for a large screen & high end graphics, comments re battery life already made are very relevant….there is the buy spare batteries option that may not have crossed your mind if this is an issue.

  • scotty on 22/11/2016 - 09:22
    +1

    Does he need to lug around the campus? If not, then maybe something from Metabox where you get to customise the whole package with lots of RAM, quad core i7, SSD + HDD etc. Hopefully Kong Computers would come up with a deal today.

    However if he needs something that is also portable & stylish (street cred when you pull it out from your bag on the university lawn) then maybe Dell XPS 13 or XPS 15. ThinkPad X1 or T460s are quite portable and well-made as well, but they are mainly for business users and aren't shining :)

  • airzone on 22/11/2016 - 10:51
    +1

    If it's for engineering and CAD use, check the hardware compatibility lists for the particular packages to make sure it'll run.

    For example, having Catia run without a suitable graphics card will be painful. My "portable" engineers nearly all have Toshiba Z40 laptops with Nvidia GPU's and it runs Catia, Solidworks, and a few other things (more or less fine)… Although their limited power isn't enough for one guy who has a massive HP Elitebook and a wheelbarrow to carry it around in… Admittedly he's more into CAM than CAD and the packages are different.

    Everything else listed can be done on any business grade laptop released over the last decade.

  • blackmanshade on 22/11/2016 - 14:41
    -1

    Based on what i read… is this 'friend' YOU. LOL ;) Seems like you know an awful lot about when, what, why, where, how your friend is going to use this device. One thing you did leave out was HIS budget $$$ (a key factor).

    Anyhow, having also been in the same position as your friend. I'd highly recommend any gaming laptop (Alienware, MSI , Dell and even HP) with minimum 15" screen, reason being its just the perfect size for say dual screening , CAD modelling and other extra-curricula activities (wink wink). Also most gaming laptops have his required specs even at base/entry level. Also factor in the GPU (personal opinion steer clear from AMD (overheating issues) - {Nvidia All the way:)} Solidworks , ArchiCAD photoshop, dreamweaver etc. just runs seamlessly.)

    I'd hold off til xmas as JB usually has computer sales on then and also ASK for potential upgrades of RAM or storage (JB now does this).

  • Tech and cars on 23/11/2016 - 13:56
    +2

    I did an engineering degree - Universities don't expect you to have good pc's at home. There are plenty of good/powerful computers at the computer labs. Part of enjoying your uni experience is, doing the late night assignments in the lab with the friends that you make. When you get stumped on a question, you can solve it together with the person sitting next to you.

    What you will need is something that's light and portable, so that you don't slack off and decide to not bring your laptop with you that day. I found that having an iPad was exactly what I needed. I used an app called "notability". It stored all my lecture notes and I added comments/voice recordings/photos as I went a long. - I'm sure there is an android equivalent. I was happy with the apple product and that particular note taking app.

    Combine this iPad with a $1200 laptop at home (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dell-New-Inspiron-15-7000-Gaming-…) - this would be more than sufficient to run most CAD programs and play decent games every now and then. You can upgrade the RAM later and add an SSD hard drive as well.

    $1800 and you're all done. Save the $1200.00 for food and coffee as you will need a lot of it through uni! :) Good luck mate.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join