Laptop Recommendation - Budget $1,500

Hi everyone,

As of now, I am looking for a laptop that is capable for image editing on the go. I usually use both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop together. Planning to build a PC to handle more intensive jobs there so this laptop would aim for portability and decent performance (no gaming requirements).

Ideally looking forward for:

Light-medium weight i.e. upto 2kg.
Good processor (happy with either Intel or AMD) - Have heard LOTS about the latter.
At least 16GB RAM.
Prefer 512 fast SSD.
Good display that is not too dull.
Good battery life is ideal but not a deal breaker.

There is an Inspiron 15 deal going on (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/544470) which is very tempting. Are there any better laptops available in the market as of now?

Comments

  • Keen to see the advice as I am also looking right now. One thing I learnt recently and this may sound stupid, but not all i7 processors are equal. The letter at the end for example i7-u i7-H determines how good it is. I think H is the best with more cores and U is the cheapest.

    • +1

      Indeed it is true. Also noticed that they might be rated at different powers (i.e. performance). As for you, I think U stands for ultrabook series and H might be for budget? Maybe!

  • +2

    Pretty impressed with the Microsoft laptops for that price range. Very nicely made.

    • I think they are out of my budget as of now. I have a SP4 and I love it without a doubt. But getting a 16GB RAM from Microsoft is no cheap deal :)

  • Grab this: https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-s-serieā€¦
    Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI8oc5FxW0A

    Comes up to $1,452.65 when configured with:
    AMD Ryzen 7 4800U 8-core 16-threads (save $100 or $300 respectively when configured down to 4700U & 4500U)
    16GB DDR4-3200
    512GB NVMe SSD

    Pretty thin (17.9 mm) and light (1.39 kg), and has decent battery life. iGPU performance (4800u) should be comparable to the Nvidia MX250, so you can definitely do some light gaming.

    • Thanks for this! How does it compare against the Flex series? There is a HUGE lists of laptop when it comes to Lenovo. Any quick tips for choosing different series such as ideapad, thinkpad etc.?

      • +1

        No idea, not a Lenovo fan. Just saw your desired specs fit this laptop I was eyeing too. Just check out online reviews and unboxing videos.

        • Reviews are great! Should fit for what I am aiming for.

          • @tanmay375: Let me know how it games :P I know you can't expect much but it's definitely much better than anything Intel has to offer in terms of integrated graphics. Comes close to a 1050 at least.

  • You have your budget
    You have a spec
    Now go and find your laptop.
    Get on your feet and do a bit of shopping. in a shoppinbg centre.
    A few seconds on Google can find you the best deals if you still want to sit down

    • +1

      Think it doesn't hurt to obtain information from people who have already purchased similar laptops? I personally prefer forums more than review sites.

  • You should have a look at Dell refurbished - https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet

    Bought my Dell G7 with an RTX2070 from there, was $2900, down to $1790 - Also bought it with a 3 year NBD warranty which costs another $100.

  • Thanks for this. Unfortunately not many good deals there as of now

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