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[BlitzKeeg]

I noticed there were a few threads some weeks ago about some fellow Gaffers trying to find new computers, but I couldn't find them when searching, so I decided to make my own.

Basically, I've been out of the hardware loop for a good 2 years and my laptop has gotten really old, so I'm trying to get myself a new one.

I'm a web developer, so I don't need a beast. I just want to be able to do web dev and play the occasional PC exclusive since I have a PS4. (stuff like Player Unknown's Battlegrounds)

I started searching last night and found this line of what seems to be Ultrabooks from ASUS that seem too cheap to be true, or maybe my bar is too low since I haven't been paying attention to hardware:

Here's what I would like out of my next machine:

- decent portability, about 13 - 14 inch screen with a thin design (I'm going to bring it to work on the bus every day)

- An SSD that's at least 250gigs. I know this is the standard now thanks to the speed

- 8 gigs of RAM or more? I'm not sure how necessary lots of RAM is anymore with current processors and SSDs

- An i5 Processor? Do I really need an i7 for web dev and occasional gaming? At least 2.5 ghz is fine, right?

- Backlit keyborard. I feel like this is pretty common now?

- No touchscreen necessary. I wouldn't hate one, but if it's just going to jack up the price then screw it.

- At least under $1000 bucks. $700 - $800 would be perfect.

If necessary I'm okay with a cheaper machine that's good for 2 years until I can go all out on a fancy new one, or just build a desktop rig.

Also Windows 10 obviously. If we were talking Mac, under 1000 for a new laptop would be out of the question. Also, I'm just more familiar with it and web dev is platform agnostic.

What do you think GAF? Is there already one on the market like this everyone loves?
I'd appreciate all the help I can get!

Lock if I'm too old to know the computers anymore.

Edit: Now that I'm looking into it, it's becoming clear that gaming is not going to happen on the kind of machine I'm looking for. That being said, I'm not looking to play anything new. Just some stuff in the backlog from at least 2 years ago or so, and simple indie games like Hotline Miami and Duck Game.

 

[ZOONAMI]

See the thread titled:

"I Need a New PC!" 2017 The Ryzing of Kaby Lake and NVMwhee!

 

[Micael]

Also FIY you aren't getting a 13 to 14" laptop to play things like player unknown battlegrounds for that kind of money.

 

[NandoGip]

My advice is to get it second hand, best bang for your buck. Like 2 months ago I got a laptop that was $1300 like 2-3 years ago for $400 bucks through the facebook marketplace on mobile.

Also STEER CLEAR FROM AMAZON. There are 100x more scammers and fake listings than real ones last time I checked.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Unfortunately, you are gonna need a pretty good PC to play PUBG.

https://pcpartpicker.com/

Check out the GAF thread and use part picker to plan / price stuff up. Also if you have a Microcenter near you they are great.

 

[Kite]

Those ultrabooks are so cheap cus they don't have powerful graphics cards. Look at the one in the amazon link you provided: "Intel HD Graphics 520 Integrated." You're not gaming on that thing.

 

[BlitzKeeg]

Oh boy. I didn't know that PUBG was that intense just from the look of it.

Thanks for the info so far guys!

Edit: Now that I'm looking into it, it's becoming clear that gaming is not going to happen on the kind of machine I'm looking for. That being said, I'm not looking to play anything new. Just some stuff in the backlog from at least 2 years ago or so, and simple indie games like Hotline Miami and Duck Game.

 

[LilJoka]

Oh boy. I didn't know that PUBG was that intense just from the look of it.

Thanks for the info so far guys!

MINIMUM:
OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i3-4340 / AMD FX-6300
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: nVidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB

 

[BlitzKeeg]

MINIMUM:
OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i3-4340 / AMD FX-6300
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: nVidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB

This is a good benchmark. Thanks!

I just don't know what names/parts I'm looking for, so this is super helpful.

 

[paragonpro]

So im also going to start building a pc this year, but im getting my parts piecemeal as i dont feel comfortable spending 1400-1500 dollars in one go. Im buying my first and most expensive part, the 1080 ti card this july, is this wise or should i just buy it all at the same time?

 

[super-famicom]

See the thread titled:

"I Need a New PC!" 2017 The Ryzing of Kaby Lake and NVMwhee!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1352338

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Forget about gaming if you want something thin+light+under $1000. If you're really set on gaming then go with a Lenovo Y520 for $700 (no ssd tho)

Otherwise I would say the best deal right now for an ultrabook is the HP Envy 13 (i5/8gb/256ssd) for $620 on Amazon. I might pick one for the wifey who needs one right now.

 

[shandy706]

Here you go.

You can add an SSD if you want.


Specs
Intel Core i5-7300HQ 2.5 GHz CPU
15.6" 1920x1080 IPS Anti-Glare Display
8GB DDR4L Memory
1TB Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5 Graphics
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.0 Type-C
1x USB 2.0
1x HDMI
Backlit Keyboard
802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth 4.
3-Cell Battery
Windows 10 Home 64-Bit

$718


(Lol @ post above)
This Laptop isn't thin and small screened though. It will play games for your price range though.

 

[BlitzKeeg]

Thanks for all the info guys. That Lenovo looks great!

I was also looking at a few refurbished units of the HP Spectre that would super cool.

Honestly at this point my laptop is so old that any sort of upgrade is going to feel godlike.

Edit: Also, even something as big as that lenovo would still be smaller than my old machine, so I'm cool with that.

Edit 2 (sorry!): How big of an impact does the SSD have on average performance? I'm willing to swap out that 1tb for a 256 SSD if it's noticeable for everyday stuff.
Like I said, I'm a web developer, so the faster I can move files, the better

 

[Rktk]

I think for the budget forget any kind of gaming, you would need a GTX 1050 in there at minimum to play any of today's games. Integrated GPU will get you Minecraft etc.

 

[BlitzKeeg]

Yeah, it's becoming clear that Lenovo is exactly what I'm looking for.

That SSD is definitely a must and I'm only going to be using it for the occasional game. I just need a fast machine that I can work with, play the occasional game from my backlog, and edit some video.

It's okay if it can't run recent games at medium to high settings because I'm really just holding out until I can get a desktop, if that, later on. I'm pretty content with my PS4 for now, and most games coming out these days are multiplat.

 

[shockdude]

We have a Gaming Laptop thread, which also recommends non-gaming laptops. Read the "I need a laptop" section in the OP and you'll get something good.

 

[BlitzKeeg]

We have a Gaming Laptop thread, which also recommends non-gaming laptops. Read the "I need a laptop" section in the OP and you'll get something good.

Yeah I gave that one a good read. It honestly has me wondering if I really need something that is "gaming capable" at the cost of a few hundred bucks and the form factor.

As I've mentioned, I have my PS4 and have survived this long without a PC and been perfectly happy, so I wonder if my money is better spent on a tighter package that is quick to deal with web dev and call it a day.

This is a big reason I even asked GAF to begin with, because I wanted to know if your run of the mill 13 - 14 inch laptop with an i5, 8 gigs of ram, integrated graphics, and an SSD is enough to live off of without having a big machine and glowing red keyboard.

Edit: Basically, that Envy is looking really nice right about now.

 

[QualityPixel]

Complete spec'ed 1080p gaming PC. Also easily upgradable in the future

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yCjGYr

haha, accidentally posted the wrong link

 

[GodofWine]

Unfortunately, you are gonna need a pretty good PC to play PUBG.
.

EDIT - CRAP...you want a laptop...hmmm, anyway see my desktop below

Under $500 can get you into PUBG (as well as 250fps in CSGO maxed, 125 FPS in OW and Paladins maxed) , shopping for sales I built this for $450. Runs PUBG at 45-75fps on pretty decent settings.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.48 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B250M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($75.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($103.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.33 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB SC GAMING ACX 2.0 Video Card ($138.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Thermaltake - V3 Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.89 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: EVGA - 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $493.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-18 16:17 EDT-0400

 

[Renji_11]

You should be able to customize that Legion Y520 and get the 128GB SSD for the same price as the 1TB hard drive.

 

[shockdude]

Yeah I gave that one a good read. It honestly has me wondering if I really need something that is "gaming capable" at the cost of a few hundred bucks and the form factor.

As I've mentioned, I have my PS4 and have survived this long without a PC and been perfectly happy, so I wonder if my money is better spent on a tighter package that is quick to deal with web dev and call it a day.

This is a big reason I even asked GAF to begin with, because I wanted to know if your run of the mill 13 - 14 inch laptop with an i5, 8 gigs of ram, integrated graphics, and an SSD is enough to live off of without having a big machine and glowing red keyboard.

Edit: Basically, that Envy is looking really nice right about now.

well you have a $1000 budget, which means you're gonna get either a nice midrange 3lb laptop or a nice midrange 5lb gaming laptop. Either is good for web dev, but only one is good for 3D games. You'll have to make a decision on which form factor that you prefer.
3lb laptop + desktop down the road is a popular combination these days, but laptop gaming anywhere is awesome so...

 

[BlitzKeeg]

well you have a $1000 budget, which means you're gonna get either a nice midrange 3lb laptop or a nice midrange 5lb gaming laptop. Either is good for web dev, but only one is good for 3D games. You'll have to make a decision on which form factor that you prefer.
3lb laptop + desktop down the road is a popular combination these days, but laptop gaming anywhere is awesome so...

I appreciate your perspective, it's really helping me decide. I think I'm better off going with the smaller form factor and lesser cost.
I'd rather save the cash and put it towards a desktop that has a upgrade path later on than spend the extra on something that is bulkier and I can't change. I also don't see myself playing games on the go all that much.

The convenience factor of my PS4 is real strong right now too, so if I'm going to get into PC again I'm going to go all out with a powerful desktop.

 

[Rktk]

Other things to consider are if this is the screen you are going to be working on you may want to opt for the larger screen and certainly 1080p minimum. You can also save money if the laptop allows you to upgrade the components - buy the M.2 SSD and extra RAM on Amazon for example.