Help me pick a new laptop

"TheJWT" (thejwt)
06/02/2016 at 21:48 • Filed to: None

Through some miracle my tuition was about $2000 cheaper this semester, so I have money to replace my dying laptop. It needs to be pretty beefy as I need it for 3d modeling, rendering, and working with large Photoshop and Illustrator files. Here are the options I’ve came up with so far-

MSI WS72

Lenovo ThinkPad W541

HP ZBook 15 G2

Feel free to suggest others I haven’t listed. I know Dell makes a comparable one, but I’d like to avoid it, seeing how many problems my current Dell has.

DISCUSSION (37)

CB > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 21:53

Razer makes laptops, too. Do you need something with battery life, or just a performance machine that you’ll be moving around?

Nibby > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 21:54

Go with the ZBook 15, those are SOLID.

also get it with the 1080p screen and base RAM/HD, buy those separately. Alternatively, buy a used one on ebay. Need any help finding one, let me know.

Also consider the Dell Precisions...they’re much better quality than their consumer crap (same goes for HP’s Elitebook/ZBook lines)

I am pretty sure you can get a nicely spec’d machine for around $1000 including SSD + 16GB RAM

No Prius Needed > CB
06/02/2016 at 21:55

Razer's laptops are more gaming orientated and only use GTX cards. From the laptops he listed, I think he needs something with a quadro instead.

7:07 > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 21:56

Have you looked at the Dell Precision Mobile Workstation line? Looks to be in the same class as the others you listed.

http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/…

Steve in Manhattan > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 21:56

Sony VAIO.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 21:59

I just bought a used ThinkPad Yoga with 1080p display, Core i7 proc, 256GB SSD and 8 GB RAM for about $500, little used. The Yoga has fold-around-back-for-a-tablet feature, though I don’t use it, but the double-jointed hinges and the touch screen are nice for browsing in bed at night. I use a Core i5 Yoga at work plugged in as a desktop machine and it’s plenty strong at only 4 GB RAM.

Nibby’s right about the Dell Precision, and the Dell Latitude is also a very robust machine.

No Prius Needed > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:00

I would avoid Lenovo at all costs if I were you. While those thinkpads are pretty good laptops, the amount of bloatware and shit that comes on new Lenovos is ridiculous. Also, their customer service is trash. They charged me $80 for a battery that they still have not sent. EDIT: I forgot to add, Lenovo's restocking fees are insane.

TheJWT > No Prius Needed
06/02/2016 at 22:01

Good to know, thanks!

StoneCold > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:01

It’s going to be the heaviest and the most expensive, but the MSI is going to be your best bet. The other two are not the newest tech-wise, but it pays to invest a little more now than try and save that extra 300-400 if the computer lasts an extra 2-3 years.

The ThinkPad customer service has been fantastic , but I’ve had a half dozen Lenovos with the anchors for the displays ripping from their base. I’ve liked the upper crust Dells we have, but the mid to low grade ones are terrible.

And SSD prices are STILL somehow dropping, so you can get a 480 GB one pretty cheap nowadays, if that’s your worry about the conventional HDD + SSD combo in the MSI.

StoneCold > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:02

Whoops, wrong reply

TheJWT > CB
06/02/2016 at 22:03

Battery life isn’t really a factor since I’m always either using it at home or in studio

boxrocket > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:03

I’d lean towards the MSi, because the processor number (6###) is higher than the other two, and I’m not up-to-date enough on Intel’s current hierarchy to know if that makes it genuinely better, Also 16GB DDR4. Plus Windows 10. I would miss the disc drive though.

Patrick Nichols > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:05

Surfacebook? I haven’t heard any first hand consumer reviews but I know they can be spec’d out pretty high (even though the prices quickly out pace MacBook pros)

pjhusa > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:07

The HP. The MSi is the one that I’d choose, but it's too big to carry around campus comfortably.

TheJWT > Nibby
06/02/2016 at 22:07

I have a Precision M4700 right now. Granted it’s getting a bit old, but the fans are failing, the screen is failing, the disk drive failed a year ago, it can’t handle large files, and it’s painfully slow.

How come you recommend the ZBook?

TheJWT > 7:07
06/02/2016 at 22:08

See my reply to Nibby, I’ve got one now

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:08

Sager.

DONE

StoneCold > No Prius Needed
06/02/2016 at 22:08

Really? They just overnighted me a battery and charger in February at no cost.

TheJWT > StoneCold
06/02/2016 at 22:10

I was curious about the HDD/SSD in the MSI. Do they function together as one hard drive? The other ones both have 256GB drives, which seems too small.

TheJWT > pjhusa
06/02/2016 at 22:11

Eh, my laptop now is a lead brick; weight isn’t too much of a concern.

StoneCold > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:15

256 GB (In binary[not base-10], that’s 207 GB) is too small for what you’re looking to do. The 128 drive is probably an mSATA or M2 drive with the OS installed, then set up using the 1 TB for Libraries.

Nibby > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:24

It’s probably slow only cause of the HD...

The ZBook has a great screen, easy maintenance, good touchpad, decent gfx card options, and superb build quality. Plenty of ports to boot too.

Nibby > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
06/02/2016 at 22:26

I bought a used E7450 for $500 with 256GB SSD + 8GB RAM + 1080p + 3 year next day warranty a few months back. It was basically robbery.

Milky > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:30

Sooo I do photoshop, illustrator and 3D modeling (alias) and have 2, $2K lap tops. One is a 17" alienware with an external graphics card ($1700) and the other is 15" Macbook pro ($2500).

..... and this will piss the PC boys off but the Mac is better.

It just works better/smoother. Not that the alienware is bad but I’ve had so many issues hooking up the external graphic card, hooking up the cintiq and using alias. Just my 2 cents, but I’d get a mac.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 22:38

Hmm I have a Precison M4600 that I’ve beat the crap out of and it is still ticking just fine (as in it gets used outside in the Texas sun/dust/heat all summer). It is spec’d pretty high-end though (quad-core i7, SSD, max RAM, best Quadro they offered), not sure if that means it got better components. I did have to replace the screen once under warranty. I recommend the Precision line just because Dell ProSupport doesn’t screw around. Whenevet things break under warranty they are fixed fast with minimal questions asked. I haven’t had that experience with any other computers besides AppleCare. And it's usually only something like $150 to upgrade to 4 years of warranty and accidental damage coverage.

No Prius Needed > StoneCold
06/02/2016 at 22:39

It has been 3 weeks since I paid for the battery and they haven’t said a thing. What model do you have?

lunr > Milky
06/02/2016 at 22:45

Not sure what platform the 3D rendering is on, but the requirements to run Photoshop and Illustrator does point towards the Mac. Though you can do Windows in Bootcamp or dual boot.

You can get a refurbished 15" MBP with the following for $1600:

2.2GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display

15.4-inch (diagonal) Retina display; 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch

16GB of 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM

256GB Flash Storage

720p FaceTime HD Camera

Intel Iris Pro Graphics

Or a 15" with the same specs as above plus a 512GB SSD and dedicated nVidia graphics card for $2100.

Refurbished are as good as new. Apple makes it a point to stress test any hardware they reuse and they always, always replace the casing / keyboard on refurbished Macs so you’re still the first person to “touch it.” They also come with a similar warranty.

Plus, they last forever. My current work machine, which has similar business requirements, is a 2011 MBP.

Milky > lunr
06/02/2016 at 22:57

As far as lasting forever yea I’m with you. My old MBP is from 2008 and its still my on the side laptop. Just clean out the useless stuff every once in a while and it just keeps running.

lunr > Milky
06/02/2016 at 23:03

I haven’t done a clean install on my work MBP since Mac OS X 10.6. There are a few gremlins in there (mostly home-brew and terminal paths) but even the OS is still going strong running on El Capitan.

I also have a mid-2011 MacBook Air. Bought it for $200 with a broken keyboard (previous owner dumped water on it) . Paid $100 for a replacement keyboard, and a 6-pack to a former-Apple-genius-now-coworker, and I have another 5 year old Mac that’s still going strong.

Sam > TheJWT
06/02/2016 at 23:37

For that price point, just build a PC. It will be twice as fast, and will be quieter and cooler.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Nibby
06/03/2016 at 00:22

Did you hit him on the head with a rock first like Visitor Q?

anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq > TheJWT
06/03/2016 at 02:43

I might get hate for this but have you thought about a MacBook? You can dual boot Windows if needed, and even if you hate Apple, you have to admit their hardware is durable and good looking. I’m still using a 2009 MacBook Pro and amazingly it works great even on the latest OS X version! If there’s one thing you’re paying for with Macs it’s how long they will last.

random001 > TheJWT
06/03/2016 at 06:23

Razer Blade 2016 model? It's beefy as hell, and also light. Check it out. They cut the price $400 from last year, so that's always nice.

Nibby > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
06/03/2016 at 08:44

Of course.

Nibbles > TheJWT
06/03/2016 at 09:32

Might I suggest the Lenovo P50? Where the aged W541 may be lacking, the P50 makes up for in spades. I’m probably biased, with the wife having a Y700, myself owning a Yoga 900, and using L- and T- series laptops for work, but they really are hard to beat these days (and they sure can take a beating). Their customer service is top notch, too.

DangerCarlos > TheJWT
06/03/2016 at 14:32

Have you looked into any of the Razer Blade options? Once they release the Razer Core external graphics card enclosure you can have an extremely potent desktop replacement that can isn’t the size of a house when you’re on the go. It would also allow you to keep up with advancing graphic card technology without having to replace the laptop entirely.

If you don’t need massive horsepower everywhere you go, the Razer Blade Stealth + Razer Core combo seems like the best of both worlds. Light and portable when you’re away from home, good battery life, and graphics crushing muscle when you’re docked at home.

Justino6969 > TheJWT
06/06/2016 at 22:33

I work in IT, and I would not suggest an HP product. The Thinkpads are a great line, very utilitarian, it will work, just may not hold up the best physically; YMMV. I’d go with the MSI assuming it has a decent display (higher than 1080p if possible with that screen size).