Best Computer Choices for Student in 2020

[Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 12:59
Last edited 27/03/2020 - 15:50 by 1 other user

Hi guys,

Looking to buy a new computer set up since my laptop is currently breaking down in terms of hardware. Need a laptop to last me through the entire school day. but can also be capable of gaming if possible.

I was thinking of either purchasing a powerful laptop like XPS 15 or X1 Extreme, which has a dedicated graphics card, or purchasing a lighter laptop like the X1 Carbon or XPS 13 and purchasing an additional desktop much like the Dell ones selling for $250-300 and throwing in a graphics card.

Would the XPS 13 or X1 Carbon be capable of some light gaming or video editing? Considering doing some at school, but most of it would be done at home.

The choices were narrowed down to Dell or Lenovo for reliability and keyboard quality, but any other suggestions would be helpful.

Cheers

Poll Options

  • 12
    Dell XPS 13 (w/ desktop)
  • 2
    Dell XPS 15
  • 1
    Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme (2nd Gen)
  • 2
    Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (w/desktop)
Computing 13.3inch 15.6inch Computer Dell Laptop Lenovo Ultrabook

Comments

  • pinchies on 27/03/2020 - 14:11
    +1

    Considerations:
    - cooling in a 15" laptop is far better than in a 13".
    - typically laptops with dedicated GPU get significantly worse battery.
    - A desktop with GPU will be leagues ahead in gaming performance.
    - You'll be able to get much better value per $ at the mid-range laptop market rather than having to pay top spec for a GPU (or even thunderbolt for eGPU) equipped model.

    I vote 13 + desktop.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:37

      cheers mate

  • Marty-69 on 27/03/2020 - 14:28

    "Additional desktop much like the Dell ones selling for $250-300 and throwing in a graphics card"

    Most of them are SFF (Small Form Factor) so not every graphics card will fit and you'll have limited options.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:39

    Personally I'd get a macbook and and Xbox Series X when it comes out. It'll have way more power than any laptop graphics card, and be a much better gaming machine.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:40

      I'm choosing desktops only for the simple fact that there's a wider range of games and the versatility to use other desktop apps. I usually video edit and that's simply not possible on consoles nor do I want a bulky laptop.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:43

        Not much good in a lecture or a classroom

        • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:45

          the point is to have a powerful (enough) laptop for lectures and then a proper desktop at home

  • RichardL on 27/03/2020 - 15:52
    +1

    My current setup is a Dell XPS 13 Laptop + Dell Optiplex 9020 (with a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti installed).

    • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 15:54

      how's that going for you? seems like exactly what I want to do actually

      • RichardL on 27/03/2020 - 15:56

        Laptop is great, Desktop might need to replace/upgrade soon (starting to lag).

        • orson on 28/04/2020 - 07:58

          What spec is that Optiplex?

  • MattL600 on 28/03/2020 - 13:01

    i cuuently use a vapor 15. check it out: https://www.reddit.com/r/vapor_fusion_mag_15/comments/fece89…

    • [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 13:40

      impressive laptop, but unfortunately i don't want to deal with the mass of cables. i'd prefer to switch from laptop at school to desktop at home. works out better in terms of convenience. also, unsure about how good the keyboard is on the laptop so not sure if that's a viable option

    • OG Puppy Banana on 01/05/2020 - 09:20

      I'll add to this thread in case anyone else is keen on the topic.

      I own and rate the Vapor 15. I have the i7-9570/2070mq/16GB ram/1TB and I think I pulled all those specs down for $2800. I also understand that now the 10th gen are out, these will come down in price!

      Value
      - 94kwh battery lasts 7-9 hours depending on non dGPU usage (3-4ish with dgpu sucking the battery dry)
      - easy to improve performance and temps further with undervolting and underclocking (I've UV to -.210mv and set a sweet spot with turbo and clocks || I used Throttlestop)
      - XMG (German version of Aftershock) has a dedicated and serviced subreddit for support. They also release monthly improvements, so your laptop is always getting the most out if its parts
      - The RTX 2070 Max Q has tensor cores and the DLSS2.0 and DLSS1.0 enabled games go at over 100fps on ultra (most non-dlss 2020 games go between 70-100fps which look great)
      - i7-9750 is a workhorse and with some tuning, you can flog it hard (cinebench 20) and it'll never go over 80-85c and deliver without performance drop.
      - 2xRAM and 2xSDD are upgradeable
      - 1.8kg laptop is unreal fo the performance. It's a cool brushed black and you can tell them to not put any stickers or branding on it (looks lenovo-ish)
      - Keyboard is mechanical and RGB-per-key - very comfy hand clicky.
      - Intel specced chassis and architecture designed to get the best performance from GPU, CPU and cooling from the chassis. Even under load, it's cool.
      - Screen is 144hz and looks great when gaming
      - Huge array of I/O, SD, Thunderbolt 3 + HDMI and good design choice to put many ports on the back.

      Some issues
      - RAM and HDD from aftershock are great, but not best in class
      - Takes some manual effort to get the most out of the sound card
      - Powerbrick is pretty big and takes away from the 1.8kg weight of the laptop.
      - dGPU is thermal throttled to 75c. Other manufacturers let their dGPUs get up to 87c. Others think this is a good thing.
      - BIOS is VERY limited
      - Can't draw any power through the thunderbolt port
      - the mic/headphone isn't combo, which is annoying as lots of gaming headset cables are usually for combo jacks. I guess other's have a use case for two jacks. I do not.

  • demiurge on 01/05/2020 - 16:09

    Get a surface pro for work and note taking. Build a Ryzen desktop for gaming.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join