Which laptop should I buy

[wej20]

So my laptop is on its last legs and I think it is probably time to get a new one (I've had 5 years out of it which is pretty good for a laptop)

I'll mostly use it for regular stuff like posting on hfboards, itunes, netflix, etc. I'll also probably play games (stuff like Football Manager, Civilization. I have a PS4 so stuff like Fallout and more graphic intense stuff I play on that). Currently I have a laptop for work so I don't need to use my personal laptop for that but I'd like to have the option going forward (I do a lot of heavy analysis stuff using excel).

I identified these 3 laptops

ASUS K501UQ

ASUS K501UW1

ASUS K501UX

Any ideas on which one I should go for? or any suggestions for models I should consider? £900 is probably the top end of my budget. A friend suggested a Surface Pro 4 but I don't think I'd get much used out of the tablet function.

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[Diamondillium]

I am definitely less knowledeable than some here, but I can weigh in from quick glances at the amazon pages. For all the non-gaming uses you have listed, any of the 3 should have zero issues.

First one:
-Best value if price is a factor
-Should be able to handle the type of games you use it for no problem despite worst video card of the 3
-Seems the most 'balanced'

Seccond one:
-Probably best of the 3 for more intensive gaming if I had to guess
-Best video card, 8GB ram could be a notable limit though. Your call depending on your usage

Third one:
-4K resolution seems unneccessary at that monitor size but if you're into that then it's worth noting
-256GB storage seems like a dealbreaker to me, especially if it will be used for a wide array of functions

I'd check out external benchmarks for battery lives and such on the 3, as that may be a factor you would want to consider. From a glance though, I like the 1st one best if you don't want to spend too much.

 

[wej20]

Thanks Diamondillium. Price isn't a huge factor but if I can get one a little cheaper then that's definitely a plus. Did wonder about the storage on the 3rd but then I guess it depends on how much I can put on my external hard drive.

 

[SniperHF]

First one:
-Best value if price is a factor
-Should be able to handle the type of games you use it for no problem despite worst video card of the 3
-Seems the most 'balanced'

Seccond one:
-Probably best of the 3 for more intensive gaming if I had to guess
-Best video card, 8GB ram could be a notable limit though. Your call depending on your usage

Pretty much agree here. If you really wanna play civilization a lot (VI I assume?) then you'd want the 2nd one. Otherwise get the first.

 

[wej20]

Pretty much agree here. If you really wanna play civilization a lot (VI I assume?) then you'd want the 2nd one. Otherwise get the first.

Thanks Sniper, I probably wont play it a lot but I definitely will dabble in it. Do you think the first one would be capable of handling it?

 

[SniperHF]

Thanks Sniper, I probably wont play it a lot but I definitely will dabble in it. Do you think the first one would be capable of handling it?

It's higher than the minimum (16% or so) for Civ VI and will run. Civ also has a lot of customization options to knock the graphics down to make it run faster.

Here's someone running a benchmark on similar hardware (HD 520 graphics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ6NdmEQGC0

 

[wej20]

Thanks Sniper, looks like it might be worth stretching to the 2nd model rather than the cheaper one.

 

[Diamondillium]

Thanks Sniper, looks like it might be worth stretching to the 2nd model rather than the cheaper one.

Definitely wouldn't hurt to go for the better one if the price isn't a massive factor. It could potentially add an extra year or so of viabilitity to it before it falls behind.

 

[wej20]

Definitely wouldn't hurt to go for the better one if the price isn't a massive factor. It could potentially add an extra year or so of viabilitity to it before it falls behind.

That's what I'm thinking, I'm not someone who updates their laptop every 2 years, I must have had my current machine for 5 years or close to. Still works decently but needs a cooling mat to keep it cool and an external speaker as the inbuilt one is shot.

 

[Birko19]

I was planning on buying a higher end gaming laptop, but like the you OP, I opted for the same:

https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16834234023

This specific model is similar the second link you posted but instead of the 512 SSD it has 128 SSD and 750 HDD. I figured that I want something professional looking and with some decent gaming power, I feel like this laptop brings both elements. I have not received it yet but should have it sometime next week in the mail.

Another thing I sacrificed was the 17", as a programmer I can work with 15" but it's somewhat on the smaller end and it lacks some screen real estate, so my solution was order this thing:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/aoc-15-...ffcode=pg200274&ksdevice=m&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

I had a $50 best buy gift card so both items together cost me about $780 or so, which I feel is a great deal.

 

[wej20]

My current screen is 17 which is nice but definitely not a necessity, I'm definitely comfortable with dropping down to 15 and like you say, can always pick up a monitor at a later date if needed.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

ASUS makes good laptops.

 

[Clock]

My new favorite question to ask when this question comes up and gaming is involved - are you only going to be using your laptop for gaming in one area (e.g., at home)? If so, do you have a desktop?

Steam streaming is pretty sweet and can get you a lot of bang for the buck, if so.

 

[wej20]

My new favorite question to ask when this question comes up and gaming is involved - are you only going to be using your laptop for gaming in one area (e.g., at home)? If so, do you have a desktop?

Steam streaming is pretty sweet and can get you a lot of bang for the buck, if so.

Will mostly be at home but my job may require more travel in the future so mobile is a plus. I probably wont use for games with particular intense graphics as I play those on PS4.

 

[Birko19]

I just got it and i'm posting from it, so far it looks like a sweet laptop, the only complain I have is the screen does not seem very premium, but it's not too bad. The mousepad seems weird but I use an actual mouse anyways so it does not matter. What I do love so far is the keyboard, it's amazing.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Surface Books are on sale fyi, I have no complaints and have met a few other owners who feel the same. Just depends if they fit into your budget, not sure the prices around you.

 

[Birko19]

So OP, did you end up ordering that laptop in your second link? I've had it for a week now and while I'm quite happy with it, there are a few issues just in case you're still thinking of ordering it:

- The screen display is not the best but acceptable I would say. If you're used to high end displays on laptops you may be quite disappointed with this one.

- The mousepad is flimsy and awkward, but this is only a major issue if you don't like using a mouse.

- I have noticed that the wireless is this laptop is definitely not that great and lacks the range compared to other laptops I have used.

- There's a ton of bloatware on it, but this is something fixable.

Other than these, I like the laptop.

 

[wej20]

So OP, did you end up ordering that laptop in your second link? I've had it for a week now and while I'm quite happy with it, there are a few issues just in case you're still thinking of ordering it:

- The screen display is not the best but acceptable I would say. If you're used to high end displays on laptops you may be quite disappointed with this one.

- The mousepad is flimsy and awkward, but this is only a major issue if you don't like using a mouse.

- I have noticed that the wireless is this laptop is definitely not that great and lacks the range compared to other laptops I have used.

- There's a ton of bloatware on it, but this is something fixable.

Other than these, I like the laptop.

Thanks Birko, I haven't bought yet as I'm waiting to see if the price comes down. Mousepad definitely is an issue and I'm lucky that the room I currently rent has a wired connection so don't need to rely of wireless. You bought a monitor to counteract the average screen, right?

 

[Birko19]

Thanks Birko, I haven't bought yet as I'm waiting to see if the price comes down. Mousepad definitely is an issue and I'm lucky that the room I currently rent has a wired connection so don't need to rely of wireless. You bought a monitor to counteract the average screen, right?

Yes I also bought that monitor I linked in my post. I love the two products together and both are very portable and work perfectly together.

The only thing with that portable monitor is it requires a driver install, it's not a plug and play type. Also keep in mind that this laptop does not have a disk drive so the CD that comes with this portable monitor is useless unless you have an external disk drive. In my case I had to go to their site and download the drivers.