I'm looking to get a laptop in the in the $600 range. Maybe a bit more if necessary but not much. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the choices and not sure which model or even brand would be best for what I want and is likely to last a while, and thought someone here might have some good advice.
It needs to be able to duel boot Linux ok. Even though I am not exactly tech savvy, I used to use Mint because fuck windows, but I have been on a 2-in-1 tablet combo that can only run windows for a few years so I am out of the loop. I might still have to use windows for some stuff though, hence the duel boot. I would also like to be able to use it for some recording and sound design. I play an instrument and want to be able to record and edit without too much trouble. And obviously all the usual stuff like movies, image editing, etc.
It would be really nice to be able to play games reasonably well but I realize I can't get a high end gaming laptop for only $600. If there IS one that can do a good job in that price range, I would take it. I'm jealous of all the posts I see in c/games and not knowing wtf you're all talking about.
Edit: Actually, if there is a huge difference in quality or ability, I'd be curious about what's in the $800 range. I probably won't go that high in price, but I'd consider it if that put it in a totally different bracket, like the difference between a dedicated graphics card or not.
There are thinkpads with GPUs that can play quite a few games. I'm not sure what the used market looks like but I know laptops as old as 3-4 years old can play GTAV to an extent.
If longevity is very important, its important to feel out the build quality. My thinkpad X1 carbon from 2016 is still in great shape and showing no sign of failure, while I watched a friend in college buy a decent spec idea pad and within a year, the screen was falling off and it was showing 3 kinds of hardware failure. Same with a lot of gaming lenovos I saw in school. There was one that was popular around 2013/2014 that I just call the red key'd bastard. I had a ton of classmates with them and watched over the years as they fell apart while my chromebook just showed some surface wear.
What kind of games do you plan on playing? For example my X1 can play some 3d games like oblivion or rocketleague fine but I never tested it with more than that. If you're mostly playing older games, even intel graphics can handle a lot.
amd’s garbage northbridges from the late 2000s early 2010 came to mind. Those things got BAKED. Guarantied to be dead within 3 hours!
Apple’s macbook’s with dedicated graphics are prime examples of this, but many other laptops where killed by this.
It's sounding like thinkpads may be the way to go. I have a Lenovo Yoga that has held up really well for years aside from a screen flickering issue, so that's too bad to hear their gaming laptops don't. Or maybe I just got lucky with the one I had.
I don't know what kinds of games, really. I would like to experiment. I had an old used PS4 slim for a while and I remember playing games like Subnautica and really enjoying it, but it ran terribly on PS4 where I'd have to wait for 30 seconds after entering a new area for all the landscape to get drawn in or whatever, and I kept wishing I could play it on a decent PC, especially after seeing videos of it played on PC that made it look much more beautiful. I liked simulation/building games like Surviving Mars and got Frostpunk, but it was just way too cumbersome with a gamepad, with all the super fine detailed "clicking" that needed to be done. But I'd also like to be able to play open world games. Like all this discussion of Elden Ring recently really makes me want to participate. Like I said, it would be nice to be able to try out different games and genres, so having a computer that could handle the more intensive ones at least to some extent would be nice.
This is a tough spot with laptops tbh. The only laptops I'd honestly recommend for longevity and game performance are approaching the 2k mark like the 15'' Dell XPS.
You could get a home grade laptop with specs, and be very careful with it forever and it could play those games within your price range. Even gaming laptops.
I also don't want to get too negative and make it seem like there's nothing good. For laptops I prefer battery life and build quality because I hate the process of researching and buying them, so I don't do it very often.