(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best laptops

I would recommend the Huawei Matebook X Pro because of the following :
The case has a high quality feel to it and smooth matte aluminum surfaces, flexing is minimal around the base and center of the keyboard and likewise for the lid despite the very narrow bezels.
It weighs 2.9lbs which is light like you want.
USB 3.0, USB type C, Thunderbolt 3 for ports.
Upgrades is hard, ram is soldered and SSD is underneath a heat pipe, but upgradeability is low in most ultrabooks.

Camera is "spring-loaded popup" from the keyboard, so the angle is fixed and image quality is unimpressive.

Keyboard is spill-proof chiclet keyboard, shallow in travel, Feedback is adequate, typing overall is quiet, and backlighting comes standard in two levels.

Touchpad is large, Multi-touch gestures is supported and easy to do thanks to the large touchpad.
Mouse keys are integrated (there are no dedicated mouse keys), feedback is soft and little spongy.

Display is 3:2 aspect ratio, has 13.9-inch screen , Brightness is very high (but usability in direct sunlight is still average because of the glossy screen), slight backlight bleeding that is easy to ignore.

Color coverage is very good at 61.6% for RGB and 95% for sRGB, screen doesn't have Screen flickering / PWM (which is a great plus if you have sensitive eyes) since you asked for a great screen.


CPU throttle under continuous intensive work, however, it is still more powerful than the 7th gen dual, so it may not be the best if your intensive work is made in long periods, but it should be more than powerful enough for bursts of intensive work


Fan noise is low during low to medium usage.

Heat is average during normal usage, but it gets hot during gaming (but still stays cool in the area that you use during gaming).

There are two front-facing speakers on each side plus two more facing the bottom corners.

Battery life is about 8-9 hours during normal/average usage.
Another big con for some is that it is made in china, which means that the support in the US currently limited.
NVIDIA MX150 which is one of the best for this range but still not great for newer games Benchmark(use the same website to check the benchmarks of the other GPU from the right hand list) and it will run Rocket League and WoW smoothly.

***

If you prefer more powerful GPU and CPU and can handle 4.5lbs, then I would recommend this Eluktronics mech g2 because it has great combination between value for money, weight, battery life, and performance.

• It comes with GTX 1660Ti GPU and it will run your games on medium to high settings, You can check the below link to see how the GTX 1660Ti GPU (scroll down for the FPs and settings expected or ctrl+f then type the name of your game).
  
  https://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1660-Ti-Laptop-Graphics-Card.386426.0.html
  
  
• The outer shell is made almost entirely out of metal.
  
  
• Keyboard is mechanical with RGB backlit.
  
  
• It has 3 USB type A, Ethernet, and mic and headphone jack and on the back an HDMI, and USB type C.
  
  
• Screen is IPS with 144Hz refresh rate, with impressively small bezels, and a professional design.
  
  
• Lid can't be open with one hand.
  
  
• Fans get loud under intensive work, but that is normal with every good gaming laptop.
  
  
• Plenty of upgrade options as the chassis supports up to 32GB of ram, and 2 SSDs and 1 HDD.
  
• Heat management is great, it can get hot but it gets cool again pretty quickly once the fans kick in.
  
  
• Main con of the laptop is the trackpad, it is mediocre at best when you compare it to other laptops in the price range.
  
  
• Battery life during normal usage is around 3.5-4.5 hours and 1.5 hour during gaming.
  
  
• Speakers are down facing so during gaming, it is best to wear headphone since the fan gets loud during gaming as well.
  
  If you want to check similar option make sure to check my post a list of best gaming laptops under 1500 in 2019

I don't think you really understand what I'm saying.

When I went to college, I had the exact same thought you're having, and I bought the same sort of computer. I bought the most portable computer I could get without sacrificing power. It was one of the thinnest and lightest 15.4" laptops on the market at the time. It was maybe a bit over an inch thick and weighed about 5 lbs, but it had a decent processor and a dedicated graphics card so I could game. I'm not talking about some ferocious 10-lb, 17" behemoth. It was no ultrabook, but it was absolutely comparable in size to any $400 non-gaming laptop on the market today.

And I'm telling you, from experience, that it sucks to carry such a thing around. It was great having a laptop instead of a desktop, because I could head home over Thanksgiving or Christmas without taking a keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, and computer with me. It was even pretty decent for studying, because I could carry it to the common room in the dorm and set up for the evening (and LAN parties were similar). But after the first week of class, that computer never actually left my dorm building, because carrying it across campus was more effort than it was worth. Then, once I got to class, it was too big for the desk.

It's not going to matter whether this is a specialized gaming beast or a normal mid-range computer. If you genuinely think you'll need a computer in class (which is highly unlikely; most students still take notes on paper), then you need the absolute thinnest and lightest computer you can get. If I were going back to college, I would not want anything larger than 11 inches in class. Think Ultrabook or Macbook Air - anything bigger is a huge burden to carry day after day. But those are very expensive, and they still can't be your primary computer. I'd get a Chromebook or an Acer 11" netbook. I picked the Chromebook specifically because the Samsung with its ARM processor has incredible battery life, but as long as you keep the size in check you can get a normal laptop instead.

Cloud storage is great, because it's automatically everywhere when you need it, and it's backed up a lot better than most people's local hard drive is. But, if you're paranoid that Google is going to copy your class notes and you think your backup system is better than their RAID arrays, so be it. Use a USB memory stick or an SD card. I worked on-campus IT and saw just how many students lost important coursework this way, but I'll trust that you make good backups. The important thing is that you can quickly and easily pull your day's notes off of the tiny computer, because:

Tiny computers can be somewhat limiting. You need one if you actually expect to use it in class, but that's about the only place you'll want to use it, and there's no sense booting it up for 5 minutes every night to transfer documents. You need a second, serious computer in your dorm, for research, typing long papers, and gaming. For a college student, there's a lot of benefit to this being another laptop instead of a desktop, assuming you don't need the absolute best gaming experience money can buy.

So, here's my genuine, heartfelt suggestion. This is what I, as a relatively recent college graduate (freshman in 2004), would do if I had to do it all over again:

Huge badass laptop ($1,350) for my dorm room. It doesn't get moved around much unless I'm going home for the weekend, so it might as well be as preposterous and powerful as I can get.

PLUS

Tiny but usable laptop ($300) or Chromebook ($250) to carry around with me everywhere. I might even use Remote Desktop for everything, so I was actually working on the powerful laptop in my room and not on the little guy. Or, if I want to get fancy, set up a VPN and a shared network drive or NAS so I can access all my files, from either computer, from anywhere in the world. If it's dropped or stolen, it's super easy to replace, because it didn't actually have anything valuable on it, and didn't cost much in the first place.

I would suggest the [Acer R11 for $269USD](https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-Convertible-11-6-Inch-CB5-132T-C1LK/dp/B01J42JPJG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483770071&sr=1-2&keywords=acer+r+13 "Amazon Link to purchase") if you're really on a tight budget, but you're going down to 11.6", which may in the end be better for portability if you're still lugging back and forth from classes. It also has Android Apps in the stable channel which is a bonus. Just make sure if you get the R11 that you get the 4Gb Ram model or else Android won't run well on it anyway. My previous chromebook was the Acer C720P, which has the same screen size, and it was nice and light to carry around from work, home, and travelling, and was the laptop that I've used for most of my Master's degree and works well for typing long papers. The [Asus Chromebook Flip (1) at $259USD](https://www.amazon.com/C100PA-DB02-10-1-inch-Chromebook-1-8GHz-Operation/dp/B00ZS4HK0Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483771163&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+Chromebook+flip "Amazon Link to purchase") is nice, but in my opinion the keyboard is too cramped to be used as a computer to write anything longer than a facebook or reddit post, which I imagine why your original post requested info on 13"-ers, and 16Gb storage is too small for the future anyway.

I currently have the [Acer R13 at $399USD](https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-Convertible-13-3-inch-CB5-312T-K5X4/dp/B01LXYG77O/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483771046&sr=1-1&keywords=acer+r+13 "Amazon Link to purchase") and it's great. I honestly can say it's overall the best computer I've ever owned and in my opinion the best value for a computer that money can buy. That being said, $400 is a lot of money for a student, but if you can afford it, it's definitley the one I'd recommend for you. The new ones that are coming out of CES, specifically the [Asus Chromebook C302 at $499USD](https://www.amazon.com/Chromebook-C302CA-DHM4-Traditional-Laptop-Silver/dp/B01N5G5PG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483771756&sr=1-1&keywords=Asus+Chromebook+C302 "Amazon Link to Pre-Order") and the [Samsung Chromebook Plus at $449USD](https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-XE513C24-K01US-Chromebook-Touch-Screen/dp/B01LZ6XKS6/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483771819&sr=1-2&keywords=samsung+chromebook+plus "Amazon Link to Pre-Order"), that will have touch and support android apps may run better but all cost more, will be harder or impossible to get now, and are arguably not a better value for the dollar. Back lit keyboards are nice but aren't a necessity for you I imagine!

Good luck on making a decision and let us know what you ultimately decide!

Looking at your budget you will have no trouble finding a very good laptop on the market. I would advise you to pick these laptops up online on either their respecive retail websites, amazon.com, or newegg.com if you want to get the better deal. But other than that, I would think that your best all around option would be the xps 15, found here: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/xps-15-9560-laptop?view=configurations , which starts at 999 but goes up to something like 1900 if you go with the i7 version, you should be able to play around with the configuration. It has a great battery, relatively light, can be configured with a gtx 1050, and doesn't look like a gaming laptop with the loud colors.

Gigabyte Aero 14:
Another recommendation that is at the top of your price range but has top tier performance, a great battery, is lightweight for its size, and doesn't go crazy with a gamer vibe would be the gigabyte aero 14, found here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-233-191R (is an open box). Other than that, the laptop can and will be able to play anything you would throw at it at ultra settings in 1080p; the laptop also has a massive battery that can last for nearly ten hours non-gaming. Great laptop for the higher end of your budget.

Alienware 13:
The last reccomendation I have is much more gamer heavy than the previous two and has a smaller screen, is thicker and heavier, but built like a tank. If you want a strong feeling laptop that has a gamer look the alienware 13 is a good choice, found here (sorry for the length): http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/alienware-13-laptop/dkcwkble1s?ref=287_customize&dgc=ba&dgseg=dhs&cid=235789&lid=27867&ACD=123092357892786720c101671614&VEN3=271303854282091772&selectionState=eyJGUHJpY2UiOjE0NDkuOTksIk9DIjoiZGtjd2tibGUxcyIsIlF0eSI6MSwiTW9kcyI6W3siSWQiOjE0NiwiT3B0cyI6W3siSWQiOiI1TlZXR1kifV19LHsiSWQiOjYsIk9wdHMiOlt7IklkIjoiMTA1MFRJMiIsIlByaWNlIjo1MC4wfV19LHsiSWQiOjc2MCwiT3B0cyI6W3siSWQiOiJGSERLQkwiLCJQcmljZSI6MTAwLjB9XX0seyJJZCI6MywiT3B0cyI6W3siSWQiOiIxNkcyNDAwIiwiUHJpY2UiOjIwMC4wfV19LHsiSWQiOjgsIk9wdHMiOlt7IklkIjoiMjU2U1NEIiwiUHJpY2UiOjIwMC4wfV19LHsiSWQiOjEwMTUsIk9wdHMiOlt7IklkIjoiMTgwVzNQIn1dfV19 . The cost of the device to have the better graphics card, better processor, and better storage brings it up to around 1400 or so dollars for the laptop. If you want the bigger brother, the alienware 15, with the gtx 1060 and gamer look, it can be found for around 1550 after configuring here: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/alienware-15-laptop/dkcwkblf011ss?selectionState=eyJGUHJpY2UiOjE1MjQuOTksIk9DIjoiZGtjd2tibGYwMTFzcyIsIlF0eSI6MSwiTW9kcyI6W3siSWQiOjE0NiwiT3B0cyI6W3siSWQiOiI1OVg1OE0ifV19LHsiSWQiOjYsIk9wdHMiOlt7IklkIjoiR1RYMTA2MCIsIlByaWNlIjoyMDAuMH1dfSx7IklkIjo4LCJPcHRzIjpbeyJJZCI6IjEyODFUQiIsIlByaWNlIjoxNzUuMH1dfSx7IklkIjoxMTIsIk9wdHMiOlt7IklkIjoiNkMiLCJQcmljZSI6NTAuMH1dfV19

Here are a few cheaper options for you to take a look at.
Lenovo legion Y520 (867$, cheap gaming laptop): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WVMJ713/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500605872&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lenovo+legion+y520&dpPl=1&dpID=413psh%2BrxKL&ref=plSrch
Dell inspiron 7000 (930$, good overall laptop (uses integrated graphics)): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071ZQSSBV/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500606320&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dell+inspiron+7000&psc=1&smid=A3JS2199GQLB8L
LG Gram (1118$, great ultraportable): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N22876J/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500606440&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lg%2Bgram%2B15&dpPl=1&dpID=51ShG8wY9tL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

I'M IN :D And I've already got ideas c: Gonna start on this c:

EDIT: I meant to edit this.. Not reply. ._.

1. Something that is grey.
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. This is rain because when you drop a bunch of them, it has the soothing sound of gentle rain c: (Craft WL)
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. How are pumpkin pudding flavored Kit Kats NOT unusual? (Food WL)
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) This would be for my dad!! I want to make him a cake for his birthday with this wonderful topper! He just loves golf. He goes about 3 times a week ._. (Baking Stuff WL)
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! I haven't read this yet. But.. we should read it at the same time. 'Cause I love talking about books with everyone c: AND. It's about a clash between men and women. A guy who's from a time where women are obedient and a women who's from a time where they go unquestioned and praised. Aaaaaaaaaand... FIGHT! (Books WL)
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) Cateye glasses c: ORRRRRRR feathers because I've seen cats attacking birds or walking around with a feather in its mouth COUNTLESS times c: (Both from my Craft WL)
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Shoe laces that don't tie aren't useful.. But shoe laces that don't tie AND LIGHT UP are beautiful c: And I would love to have them so my appearance at night will be FABULOUS. (Cutes! WL)
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. You can make fake brains! It'll only be good enough to distract them for a moment, but that moment could be what saves you!!! (Baking Stuff WL)
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. This would allow me to easily carry a white board surface with me anywhere. I am a math tutor and an aspiring math professor, so being able to have a handy white board surface would be lovely. ORRRRRR this for a more playful goal. My friends and I seem to have the craziest conversations and strangest encounters while we're playing together. This would be a fun way to get our stuff recorded and FAMOUS. loljk. We just wanna share the insanity c: (white board from School Stuff WL and Elgato capture from Dreams WL)
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. I just want mochi.. ;~; (Food WL)
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? This is my current dream item. I'm attending college. My laptop is a dinosaur and it weighs a ton. It works fine, so I'm not looking to get rid of it. But I need something that won't break my already breaking back when I bring it to school. I spend a lot of time on campus doing homework or just relaxing. This Chromebook has a great battery life and is a good price for what I need to get done. (Dreams WL)
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. I'm going to assume this is bigger than a bread box because of the amount of candy in it.. (Food WL)
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Sugar pearls are smaller than golf balls c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. It may be too strong by itself.. But add it into some yummies and it'll smell DELICIOUS. c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
17. A (SFW) toy. It's SFW as long as you aren't screaming, "FUCK" or bludgeoning a person to death with it out of frustration c: (Cubes WL)
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. I'm a math major and the majority of my math is done on white boards I have mounted in my room. There is no such thing as too many expo markers for me lol (School Stuff WL)
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Chain maille jewelry! :D I've only started with it :c (Crafts WL)
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. It's a 3D DINOSAUR COOKIE CUTTER. You can make dinosaur cookies!!! THAT STAND. YOU CAN MAKE STOP MOTION DINO WARS. I are excite. (Baking Stuff WL)
    
    I'll come back with the three I missed c:
    
    Edit#2: Adding raffle phrase! fear cuts deeper than swords
    
    Also adding one of the bonuses! Purdy paintbrushes are made in Oregon c: They've been made in Portland since 1925! c:

Hm I don't know if there's any outside bundles beyond the 10% discount but I think you could get a much more potent laptop all around for less than the price there. Newegg and Amazon have had good deals and will likely continue to do so until Cyber Monday.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXO0PO2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Either version of the above is a good deal right now, don't know how long the sale is gonna last. A 960m may not max it out at 60 fps constantly but should be reasonable. A 1060 mobile version is practically the desktop variant, and should crush the game.

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE72VR-Apache-Pro-024-i7-6700HQ/dp/B01IS33QWY/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480139416&sr=1-5&keywords=msi%2Blaptop%2Bgaming&th=1

Meanwhile for more there's this MSI. A 1060 with the processors listed should be absolutely fine to max it, and out of all the games that benefit from being installed on the SSD I recommend FF XIV for that. This is definitely more punch than the one you listed while being in that kind of price range or cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA8S14H07846&cm_re=eluktronics-_-9SIA8S14H07846-_-Product

Finally there's this one on Newegg. A smaller and newer brand but if you look around most of the reviews are positive, and it's a much more plain laptop aesthetically which may please you. Also seemingly no bloatware; if you were willing to go for a newer brand without a history one of their laptops might be a good bet, the one I linked is just a starting point.

I know portability weight and stuff is probably a factor to you too, but if you look around trying to find something with the specs of the MSI or Eluktronics ones would be a good bet. If you have further questions or want clarification from me feel free to reply or PM with specifics you want to know. Happy shopping and good luck.

You mentioned not wanting an Acer, but the specs in this Acer Predator for $1050 is one of the best value machines on the market. I am not aware of any issues with the drivers in this model, and it is a rather popular machine. The predator has good build quality, a 15.6" IPS display, and powerful GTX 1060 dGPU which makes it great for high end gaming. It has an Intel Kaby lake Quad Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16gb of ram, and that 256GB SSD you wanted, weighing 5.4 lbs with a 7 hour battery life. At this budget, this configuration really is the best value.

For a cheaper, non Acer option, this Lenovo Legion Y520 for $890 is still a good value option with a good build quality, 15.6" IPS display, and a GTX 1050Ti dGPU instead of the more powerful 1060. Also it would have an Intel quad core i5-7500HQ processor, 16gb of ram, and a 256gb SSD, making it another good option for you.

I marked things with a [w] if they're on my WL!

1. Something that is grey. China Glaze Polish Ecollection Recycle [w]
   
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. Hehe, a watering can [w]
   
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. Miracle Noodles - they're these weird low-carb noodles [w]
   
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) LARPing Book for my friend Dennis. His is missing several pages, which is very frustrating to him. He's endlessly dear to me. [w]
   
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Other People's Love Letters - doesn't that just sound romantic? :D [w]
   
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Mickey Mouse Cookies!
   
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) SmartCat [w]
   
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Triple heart necklace <3 [w]
   
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Love Me If You Dare. Everyone should have more French film in their lives. It's a beautiful, artistic, funny, romantic movie. The main characters are hot.
   
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Cast Iron is heavy! [w]
    
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. For exercise, way easier on my knees than the treadmill [w]
    
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. Awesome fabric softener - and I really want it, too! [w]
    
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A Roomba. I have pets. I need to vacuum more often. I'm lazy. Also he would be my robot butler friend. I'd name him Alfred or Jeeves or Pennyworth. My cats would be afraid of him. [w]
    
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. A mattress is quite a bit bigger! [w]
    
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Pearl earrings [w]
    
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. Lilac and Lilies! [w]
    
    
17. A (SFW) toy. Cat toy! [w]
    
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. Chromebook! It's actually for when my husband starts college. [w]
    
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Filter for my new fishtank! [w]
    
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. Electric bike so, my comment on this is: “Theoretically I would like to bike. Realistically I'd like to bike, except up hills. Oh, here we are!”. Right?! Also what they sell electric bikes on Amazon? Damn! [w]
    
    Bonus:
    
    Oregon Chai!

> typing long word documents ranging from 20 to 100 pages.

As others have said, I would recommend testing out Google Docs on your current PC and see how it handles the things you require. You can also try out Microsoft Office Online, and depending on the Chromebook you should have access to the Microsoft Office Android apps as well.

> Opening 10 - 15 browser tabs for research articles.

Most any Chromebook with 4GB of RAM should be able to handle that, but I would still recommend using an extension like OneTab. It's primary function is to conserve system resources, but it also makes it MUCH easier to scan through a large number of tabs very quickly because you can see the full tab name instead of the truncated portion you see in the tab bar when several tabs are open.

> Audio transcribing (listening to recordings at reduced speeds to type them out word for word).

I've never tried this on a Chromebook and honestly don't know if the default audio player allows adjustment of audio speed, but I'm confident you could find an Android app that would allow you to do that if need be.

> Reading/highlighting PDFs.

Kami should work very nicely for you. You can try it out on whatever PC you're currently using to see how it works. You could also use Onenote Online or any number of Android Apps.

> Will a chromebook with 2gb ram perform these functions smoothly? Or am I better off getting a low-end microsoft laptop?

Honestly, I would say neither. You're better off buying a nice Chromebook with 4GB RAM as a minimum. And since it sounds like you would be doing a lot of extended typing sessions, it's imperative that you get a device with a very good keyboard. At this point, the best option available on the Chrome OS side is the Asus C302CA or the Dell Chromebook 13 if you can grab one of those refurbs when it pops up on Dell Outlet.

> How seamless is the conversion from a google doc to word doc?

I've never had any problems with it, and I don't expect you would either unless you're doing some extremely complicated formatting. Even so, you could always use Office Online or the Android Apps (which, last I checked, were available on my C302CA).

For especially that video rendering, it will take a powerful quad core preferably i7 processors, more than 8 GB RAM and a dedicated graphics card to do well. If you were to go a little over $1200, this Eluktronics N857HK1 Pro-X Special Edition laptop would do a very good job for you. It not only has the powerful 7th gen quad core i7 processor, but also a fast SSD, solid gtx 1050 Ti dedicated graphics card and very good 16 GB RAM..In addition, it has a very good cooling system which is crucial, nice build quality and beautiful IPS 1080p display. If you are willing to spend a little higher, you could get this 2017 Eluktronics P650HP6 that is actually optimized for graphic design and has a wonderful gtx 1060 dedicated graphics card.. I must also say that both laptops have a very good backlit full keyboard with a numeric pad.

here is a list of gaming laptops that would be worth you looking through for good comparisons, but specifically, look at the Asus RoG G750JS for $1099. It's normally quite a bit more expensive than that, and it would do that work perfectly well if you're looking for something with large display.

I got one for my dad, and I own one that is a generation older and they are incredibly high quality, have the best cooling available, have my favorite keyboards on any gaming laptop, and have more than enough power to run your level of applications.

However, if you can go down to a 15.6" laptop, you could step down the graphics and the budget significantly for the Asus N550JK, which is going to give you a much higher quality display (15.6" 1920X1080 IPS touch) while still keeping the powerful CPU and retaining an Nvidia GTX 850M (plenty powerful for your work and moderate gaming).

Given the choice, if you can handle the smaller display, I'd go for the N550JK. The IPS display would be a lot nicer, and a 15.6" laptop is a lot easier to carry around. They are both very high quality laptops, though.

If you could step the budget up a few hundred more, you could get the best of both worlds with the Asus RoG G751JT, which has a 17.3" IPS display (quite rare), and the brand new Nvidia GTX 970M graphics (way more powerful than the last two).

If you're on a budget, I just picked up this laptop and definitely recommend it. I did a lot of research beforehand and it's the best thing out there in this price range. It's running a Ryzen 5 CPU, which means it's got some impressive graphics capability for your CAD work. Plus it's a 2-in-1 and pretty light, so it's also great for note taking in class.

Another major benefit, especially if you're engineering and have some technical skills, is that the RAM, battery, and SSD are user upgradeable, which means you'll be able to keep this laptop running strong for years with a couple cheap upgrades when it starts to slow down.

It's not as fancy as other laptops out there, the build quality is where they had to make some compromises. Plastic body, speakers arent amazing, not the best screen out there, and the battery life is about 5-6 hours. But it's Lenovo, so it's still pretty solid, the keyboard feels pretty good and the trackpad is as good as anything out there under about $900.

Overall there's nothing near this powerful out there at this price range, especially if the 2-in-1 touch screen matters to you. But whatever you choose, I would definitely recommend something with a discrete graphics card or an AMD Ryzen processor like this one if you're going to be doing graphics intensive work like CAD.

**note: if you'll be doing a ton of MATLAB however, MATLAB is optimized for Intel and runs a lot slower on AMD processors, so that may also be something to consider.

This MSI GL62 6QF-893 gaming laptop would be perfect for you. It just had a big price drop from $999 to $899 which makes a perfect chance for you to get a machine with an awesome i7 quad core processor, 12 GB RAM, a nice 1 TB HDD plus 128 GB SSD ..It also has a very decent gtx 960 dedicated graphics card for gaming . This laptop will play the games you mentioned very well. Other great attributes of this laptops are , an amazing build quality with great keyboard and nice touch pad as well as a nice screen quality and great cooling system. It's battery life is also better than that you require.

First of all, the Razer Blade is kind of bad (to put it lightly) in terms of price:performance.

Since your budget is higher than most of the mainstream laptops, you can have almost anything (certainly much better than what Razer offers).

If money is no object, there are usually two options:

1. Portable gaming notebooks (if you are restricted by travel especially) like the MSI GS60(GTX870M + quad core) for $1800 or the Lenovo Y50(860M + dual core) for $900.
   
   
2. Huge, crazily powerful desktop replacements like the Asus notebooks, or the MSI ones that aren't in the GS series. I remember though that one of the MSI models is horribly flawed because it only has one fan to handle so much heat, so watch out.
   
   The crazy notebooks are usually closer to $3000 now, but they can pack the 880M, which cannot be had in the more desirable thin form factor. Also, they can have good performance at a reasonable price. These are between a desktop and a laptop in portability, and are also somewhat cost-efficient.
   
   It used to be that all gaming notebooks came in this massive form factor, but now the medium-high end graphics can be put in a smaller chassis, and this is almost always more desirable over the monsters that used to be. The portability sometimes comes at a premium, for example the GS60 with the 870M goes for ~1800 while you can get that performance for ~1200 in a less desirable form factor.
   
   The Y50 is extremely cost efficient. If you want a cut-down model with a so-so processor, the Amazon model for $900 is very cost-effective. The 1080p display is pretty bad, although for the cost/performance, you can't really complain. Since your budget is described as <$2000, I imagine this is not for you. There is a model with a higher resolution display that fixes the poor performance of it in that regard
   
   Over at Lenovo's website they have all the configurations at decent prices. The second one from the left for $1129 is probably the best (though with the 1080p display). 16GB of RAM and 4GB of VRAM is unnecessary and only adds to cost. The 1TB HDD is more useful, and warrants an upgrade from the first model. The SSD is limited to 8GB from the factory, and I recommend buying your own mSATA SSD to use. The 250GB 840 evo is nice.
   
   The 860M is technically an upper-mid range GPU, and may not perform to your expectations. Unfortunately, the next step up, the 870M, costs quite a bit to get in a portable form factor. I only know of the GS60 that manages to do this, and it typically costs $1800 (Also the Blade for $2200). This is kind of unreasonable for such a performance jump. Still, if you compare the GS60 to the Blade, you are still getting a good deal, so it's not that bad. If you expected to spend $2000, you will be well-served by the GS60 for $1800. It's basically a Blade with a lower-resolution screen for $400 less.
   
   One thing about the GS60: It gets hot. most of the thin gaming notebooks do, but the GS60's underside on the 870M model can cause burns. It's quite cool when web browsing and such, but during gaming, you need to watch out. The palmrest is pretty cool too, even when gaming, so you just have to make sure to NEVER use it on your lap while gaming.