NTP66's thread of IT

[DigitalGypsy66]

Yeah, it's 6+ years old. Time for it to go.

[meow]

See, I’m hesitant to buy a new one because we get massive discounts through work, but you are kind of in your own when buying. I can’t go into a Best Buy and be like sell me a laptop

[DigitalGypsy66]

Share some links in this thread, we'll tell you which one to buy.

[NTP66]

Share some links in this thread, we'll tell you which one to buy.

This.

[meow]

Which brand should I start with? They have a bunch. Samsung. Dell. Levovo. HP.

[Silentom]

I'm an ASUS fan.

[iamjs]

massive bestbuy discounts still means you probably paying $700 for a laptop.

[NTP66]

Which brand should I start with? They have a bunch. Samsung. Dell. Levovo. HP.

Depends on what you’ll use this for. Strictly bidness? Lenovo makes decent stuff. Personal laptop? I love my wife’s HP ENVY, but am also an ASUS fan. Dell can get ****, and I haven’t really messed with any Samsung stuff.

[meow]

I basically need it so I can remote into my work computer and be fast as **** with the internet. Nothing else.

[NTP66]

HP, Lenovo and ASUS can do that just fine. If you’ve got a list of discounted gear, post the info here. Or if you simply get a discount with a particular vendor, let us know which. Also need a budget.

[meow]

HP NOTEBOOK - 15-BW080NR

I can get that for $349

[NTP66]

That’s bare bottom, dated hardware. Didn’t you buy the ASUS router I suggested not too long ago? If so, make sure anything that you buy has an 802.11ac wireless card in it.

[meow]

What should I look for? Processor? RAM? Memory?

[NTP66]

If you’re not doing anything processor intensive, like encoding video or anything, then it doesn’t matter terribly much. Anything with at least 4GB of memory (preferably 6-8GB) and Windows 10 64-bit. If you’re going to spend money on one component, it has to be the hard drive. An SSD drive is lightning fast, and can make up for slower processors.

[meow]

Ok. I built my own.

HP Pavilion Laptop - 15t touch
Windows 10 Home 64
Intel® Core™ i5-8250U (1.6 GHz, up to 3.4 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores)+Intel® UHD Graphics 620
8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB)
15.6" diagonal HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit (1366 x 768)
1 TB 5400 rpm SATA; 128 GB M.2 SSD
No Optane
Office Software Trial
Security Software Trial
3-cell, 41 Wh Lithium-ion prismatic Battery
DVD Writer
Full-size island-style keyboard(Natural Silver)
HP Wide Vision HD Camera with dual array digital microphone (Mineral Silver)
Intel® 802.11b/g/n/ac (2x2) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 Combo

[NTP66]

That doesn’t sound too bad. Small battery, so don’t expect it to last long unplugged. The screen resolution is a little low, too. Do you just get a percentage discount on any HP gear? If so, what’s your budget for this? I’d venture a guess that I can build something better for around the same coin.

[meow]

This worked out to be $650. I don't want to go much over that because I don't use it for anything other than the remote.

The battery doesn't matter because I'm at a desk at home so it is permanently plugged in.

[DigitalGypsy66]

I wonder if it's worthwhile to replace that HDD with a SSD. I see it has a M2 SSD, but if you get one large(r) SSD that might be better for battery life.

[iamjs]

Do you need something with a DVD writer?

I'm seconding the suggestion of going with an SSD. A 5400 RPM SATA drive is probably your slowest option, and the jump to SSD alone is like night and day.

[Silentom]

How well will it stream porn?

[meow]

Do you need something with a DVD writer?

I'm seconding the suggestion of going with an SSD. A 5400 RPM SATA drive is probably your slowest option, and the jump to SSD alone is like night and day.

No. It was a default I couldn’t remove.

Explain the SSD like I am 8 years old

[DigitalGypsy66]

SSD drives do not have moving parts and are much faster than regular mechanical hard drives. You'll be able to boot to desktop in ten seconds. Similar storage as what you have in your phone, tablet, or thumb drive. It uses a lot less power because it doesn't have moving parts.

[meow]

So SSD sounds like a good idea

[NTP66]

An SSD should be mandatory. Don’t even consider another laptop that doesn’t have one.

[NTP66]

Ok. I built my own.

HP Pavilion Laptop - 15t touch
Windows 10 Home 64
Intel® Core™ i5-8250U (1.6 GHz, up to 3.4 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores)+Intel® UHD Graphics 620
8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB)
15.6" diagonal HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit (1366 x 768)
1 TB 5400 rpm SATA; 128 GB M.2 SSD
No Optane
Office Software Trial
Security Software Trial
3-cell, 41 Wh Lithium-ion prismatic Battery
DVD Writer
Full-size island-style keyboard(Natural Silver)
HP Wide Vision HD Camera with dual array digital microphone (Mineral Silver)
Intel® 802.11b/g/n/ac (2x2) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 Combo

It actually looks like this is probably your best bet from HP at your price point. The only thing I don't particularly like about this model is the screen. I'd personally opt for the IPS 1920x1080 screen, but it's an extra $100.

Alternatively, if you wanted to go the ASUS route, you could get that upgraded screen and pay less than the HP with the ASUS VivoBook F510UA. It has virtually the same hardware otherwise, but here are some noticeable differences that may or may not matter to you:

• The HP comes with a full numeric keyboard on the right side, whereas the ASUS does not
• The ASUS does not come with a backlit keyboard, but it's an option on the HP
• The ASUS comes with the IPS 1920x1080 screen, but it's a $100 option on the HP
• The ASUS has a fingerprint reader (for Windows Hello) embedded in the trackpad
• The HP comes with a DVD writer, whereas the ASUS has no optical drive
• The webcam in the ASUS is apparently hot garbage based on what I read
• I found reviews for both saying that the keyboard was a little bouncy

Between the two, I'd personally opt for the ASUS in this price range. You get more bang for your buck, and the knocks on it don't matter to me. I'd recommend reading reviews for both before you decide, though.