Laptop for High School Student - Budget $1200

Aikendrum on 26/12/2022 - 23:21
Last edited 27/12/2022 - 08:17 by 1 other user

Hey brains trust,

I'm keen for a laptop for my son to see him from Y9 to Y12 (damage pending!) and I'm hoping to grab a Boxing Day sale. Looks like I missed the Pavilion 14", which looked perfect!

Must-haves are:

  • Light weight (<1.5kg)
  • Battery life
  • 16Gb RAM or upgradeable to
  • 512Gb SSD
  • Core i5 for performance unless someone convinces me otherwise

Nice to haves include:

  • 16:10 screen
  • Good graphics performance (i.e. better than stock Iris that everything seems to have atm)

Any good ideas? Anyone spotted a deal for something like the above? The only other thing I've seen that kinda matches the above is this.

… but I read that the battery life isn't so great. Anyone got one that can corroborate / deny?

Thanks folks!

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • boomramada on 26/12/2022 - 23:41

    Surface Pro

  • Kangal on 26/12/2022 - 23:46
    +1

    Whatever you do, go with an AMD r7-6800 U/H chipset.
    They're the same, with the U variant configured mostly for 10W-20W range, and the H variant boosted to the 20W-30W range. The decent iGPU should last you for a while. Make sure its got at least 16GB RAM (or upgradeable), and a decently fast nVme SSD (512GB min, or upgradeable).

    The Intel chipsets are too thirsty, and are too weak graphically. For the 50W range, I would recommend an Intel+Nvidia combination. But for most people this gen, AMD with its iGPU is the way to go.

    I wouldn't bother with touchscreens.
    Most webcams are pretty poor quality as well.

    Just make sure it has a good quality keyboard, touchpad, and screen. The spec list won't show these tangible factors. Don't judge them based on the logo, but the merits of the product itself. The best brands can make bad products, and poor-quality brands can make gems. In general, Apple makes the best quality laptops. Followed by Razer, typically making the best quality stuff for Windows. Then I would say it is ASUS and Lenovo. I would then place Toshiba and Dell. Then it's the likes of Samsung and Microsoft. Coming from the rear its Acer and HP.

    • Kangal on 27/12/2022 - 00:17
      +1

      There's options from the:
      ThinkPad Z13, ThinkPad T14s (3rd Gen), Lenovo Yoga7 (14in), Lenovo Thinkbook 13s Gen4, Lenovo Zenbook S13, Dell Inspiron 14, HP Elitebook G9 (835/845), HP x360 ProBook, HP Pavillion Aero13, Acer Swift Edge.

      I would say, think long and hard about how your kid treats the device. If they treat their property nicely, then pay extra upfront and get something half decent ($1.5k-$2.0k), so that it's a pleasure to use and has longevity to it. But if they're careless in terms of losing it, theft, drops, or computer illiterate…. then think of other options. In the case of the latter, I would recommend a secondhand/used/refurbished laptop. Maybe something that's 1-2 generations behind. It would mean the device is more compromised, and won't last as long, but the upfront costs ($1k-$1.5k) should be much less.

  • AngoraFish on 27/12/2022 - 11:20

    https://www.computeralliance.com.au/msi-gf63-thin-10sc-859au…

    1.86kg.

    There's a slightly newer model there as well for <$1200, but that will also need a memory upgrade to 16GB

    https://www.computeralliance.com.au/msi-gf63-thin-11uc-1094a…

  • Stalker on 01/01/2023 - 15:26

    Am in the exact same boat - what about this?

    https://www.harveynorman.com.au/lenovo-ideapad-flex-14-inch-…

    • Aikendrum on 02/01/2023 - 10:56

      I still can't quite wrap my head around Ryzen7 vs i5 (1240p) in terms of power consumption vs performance. One reply above strongly recommends Ryzen 7 on both counts, but all head 2 head CPU comparos I see favour i5. The Lenovo is also a bit heavier than I was hoping for - was aiming to stick to 1.4kgs-ish if possible. Otherwise looks good! I couldn't find any specs on screen brightness… did you?

      • Stalker on 02/01/2023 - 11:17

        Yeah, it's not as easy to choose something as I was hoping…

  • BiotBargin on 02/01/2023 - 11:11

    Buy Accidental Damage Insurance/Protection for school use
    …. and dont buy Lenovo if your trying to get 3 years from a laptop

    • Stalker on 02/01/2023 - 11:23

      What do you suggest instead?

  • Stalker on 03/01/2023 - 15:18

    Thoughts? 12th gen i5 for sub $1k?

    https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/hp-pavilion-x360-14-inches-i5…

  • Stalker on 03/01/2023 - 15:56

    Nice one - congrats. 15.6 is too big for me, so I will keep on hunting!

    • Aikendrum on 03/01/2023 - 18:08

      Good luck!

      • Stalker on 03/01/2023 - 19:05

        Thanks - I gave up and bought a Macbook Air M1 from the AOC using 5% discounted gift cards. :)

        • Aikendrum on 03/01/2023 - 19:06

          Ah nice - I would've considered Macbook air if our school didn't explicitly say "No Macbooks" for BYOD! Hope it works out :-)

  • hughc on 16/01/2023 - 14:21

    https://www.computeralliance.com.au/lenovo-t14-gen2-14-core-…

    Great build quality (Lenovo T series), upgradeable RAM.

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