Reddit mentions of ASUS VivoBook S Ultra Thin and Portable Laptop, Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, 15.6” FHD WideView Display, ASUS NanoEdge Bezel, S510UA-DS51

The ASUS VivoBook S Ultra Thin Portable Laptop would be a suitable choice. It easily ticks all your boxes and it will do a great job at CS courses.

/r/SuggestALaptop

I think the problem with a super thin laptop is that you wont get a dedicated graphics card.

550- thin - https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-i5-8250U-NanoEdge-Fingerprint-F510UA-AH51/dp/B0762S8PYM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523938265&sr=1-1&keywords=8250u

600 - https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1523937943&sr=1-1&keywords=8250u&refinements=p_n_graphics_type_browse-bin%3A14292273011



700 - thin - https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-Portable-i5-8250U-processor-S510UA-DS51/dp/B078YMY5VZ/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523938493&sr=1-2&keywords=8250u

890 - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834154822&cm_re=8300h-_-34-154-822-_-Product

$1055 - https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-i7-8550U-Processor-Keyboard-N705UD-EH76/dp/B07661CYPD/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523937834&sr=1-1&keywords=8650u

The MSI PS42 seems just up my ally. I also found another one I am considering: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078YMY5VZ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3ETH6T54TJRRL&psc=1

I was wondering if the MSI PS42 is worth the extra 100 or this one is just as good because they both have the same processor, ram, and storage.

I can't find a laptop that satisfies all of your requests, but the closest I can find is the ASUS Vivobook S510UA. It has:

• i5-8250U 4-core processor
  
  
• 8 GB of RAM
  
  
• 256 GB SSD storage
  
  
• 1080p 15.6" display
  
  
• Weight of 3.7lbs and battery life up to 8 hours
  
  This laptop runs Windows 10 Home. Other than not having a numpad, it has the rest of your specifications. It has a backlit keyboard and Intel i5. This laptop will be great for mutlitasking/streaming.

I have the 15 inch version of this from last year. I wouldn't recommend the 15 inch as it's a little bulky for a backpack and rather heavy. This version might be better though. In your budget range and for your use, what's important is most likely a ~250GB SSD and an i5.

I would encourage you to check out Best Buy because they have back to school sales that might knock an extra $100 or so off of this price.

Edit: don't let people tell you that a laptop is bad because of integrated graphics. They didn't read your use cases and it's just bad advice. Another pro of the best buy route is that you can see screen and keyboard before you buy since those were features important to you.

Edit 2: here is a contender from the recommended list pinned to the top of the sub: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YMY5VZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_zA5IBbMC55PPV

Edit 3: there are two Acer aspire laptops in the recommended student list. There is a 14 inch one that might be more portable, but there is an aspire e 15 that is probably the best price to performance.

the asus vivobook he linked is pretty great, but it's worth mentioning that it's a hdd and not an ssd, that's gonna affect its speed quite a bit, the ssd version is unfortunately $100 more expensive, but while browsing amazon I came across this this deal and it seems pretty good, although a bit over budget, but I don't know much about this laptop so hopefully someone else can chime in.

edit: another better option is this, it even comes with vega integrated graphics if you ever need that.

I was actually debating between that and this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078YMY5VZ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I pulled the trigger on the asus one because i found out the e15 is ddr3 and a bit heavier while the asus is ddr4 and lighter weight. If it weren't for these two factors i definitely would have opted for that $50 cheaper option.

The Asus you posted will do you well, but doesn’t have an SSD. In my opinion it’s worth it to spring extra for an SSD and a backlit keyboard. While the 1TB HDD may store more, SSDs are much faster and more efficient, and generally don’t require defragmenting to get the system back up to speed (which is great if you move files around). A good option is to have a machine with a smaller SSD, this way your system runs and updates significantly faster, and use a $50-60 2TB external HDD for storing large files.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078YMY5VZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1518903085&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=asus+vivobook+i7

Just to give you an example, we recently finished our transition to SSDs at work. It used to take about 1-1.25 hours to install a lab image(operating system with all the programs we need on it) on a machine. Switching to SSDs cut it down to about 30 minutes. They really cut down the time it takes to read and write data, and I think you would benefit from it when it comes to using large files.

I went with this Asus S510.

The screen brightness issue in the Swift is pretty much universal in reviews. And I plan on using outside here and there. The ASUS unfortunately doesn't use an IPS screen though. But from what I gather it's mostly for viewing angels and I don't plan on hanging upside down while using it lol.

Also, no dedicated card. But I really wasn't planning on gaming much. And the increased size and weight of the Swift was not all that great either.

Mostly, it was the brightness that made the decision. My current Dell is almost useless outside. I don't want that again. Apparently the Asus has a matte finish so less glare.

Neither. You're in college and don't need the BEST laptop with your major, it'd be a waste of money. You want something that is reliable and will get the job done. Notetaking in college is pretty much done all on paper. You use the laptop to write the papers. Instead of getting a $3,000 laptop I would recomend looking for a laptop around $600-$900 or even building a GOOD pc for the same price You can spend the other $2,000 on food when you are broke and starving, alcohol when you're thirsty, and a nice suit if you join a fraternity.


If you don't build a PC you could go with one of these:


>>https://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPS9360-1718SLV-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01M12QE8W//


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>>https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-Portable-i5-8250U-processor-S510UA-DS51/dp/B078YMY5VZ/


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>>https://www.amazon.com/UX330UA-AH54-13-3-inch-Ultra-Slim-Processor-Fingerprint/dp/B075N1YHVK/


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>>https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-128GB-Latest-Model/dp/B07738WFFN/

Can I ask why separate mic and speaker? Do you use that all over or just when you're at a single desk location?

I ask because that could be hard nowadays but there are headphone/mic splitters you could use, or, if you do that at a desk using a usb-c hub with usb headphone/mic dongle.


You should be able to get an 8th gen i5-8250u with everything else.

If you're ok with one hub/dongle for your USB port, you should be able to use this guy: ASUS VivoBook S Ultra Thin and Portable Laptop, Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, 15.6” FHD WideView Display, ASUS NanoEdge Bezel, Metal Cover, S510UA-DS51 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YMY5VZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_M06MAb93PCBAF

A decent processor and an above average build quality is all you need for your use. With your budget you have quite a few options but the ASUS VivoBook S is the one I would say you should get. Its specs are nothing different form other laptops in this price range but its thin bezels and its build quality sets it apart. The screen is not bright enough for outside use in direct sunlight but that should not be an issue for you

Definitely give ASUS's Vivobook and Zenbook series a look. The only thing Mac related that you can get under $1000 that isn't stupidly over priced is the Macbook Air. Here's a couple links:

https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-Portable-i5-8250U-processor-S510UA-DS51/dp/B078YMY5VZ/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1539239620&sr=1-6&keywords=asus+laptop

​

https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-i7-8550U-GeForce-NanoEdge-Display/dp/B07B7VFTN9/ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1539239707&sr=1-20&keywords=asus+laptop

​

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-13-3-MacBook-Air-Silver/dp/B015WXL0C6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1539239488&sr=1-1&keywords=mac+laptop&dpID=51jcUr98QzL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Get a laptop maybe? it helps a lot when taking notes/watching yt everywhere
I suggest this

https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-Portable-i5-8250U-processor-S510UA-DS51/dp/B078YMY5VZ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=laptop&qid=1568511741&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A7817224011%2Cp_36%3A-70000%2Cp_n_feature_fourteen_browse-bin%3A2057441011%2Cp_n_feature_eleven_browse-bin%3A9521903011&rnid=9521902011&s=pc&sr=1-5

I found it on amazon, it has a slim body, slim bezels, plenty of ports, and a nice modern design.
plus it has 8gb ram and 256gb ssd, so it will be enough for everything except gaming and stuff that requires intense graphics power
((hey, you can still play fortnite/minecraft/war thunder/and a lot of games with it)
this is the best I could find from not used/up to 3 pounds category
here are some reviews

https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/asus-vivobook-s510

pros

• good design for this price
  
• slim bezels
  
• slim body
  
• lightweight
  
• decent keyboard with backlight
  
• fingerprint sensor
  
• decent heat managing
  
• decent display panel
  
• 256gb SSD (much faster than HDD)
  
• 8GB ram (enough for most games and web surfing)
  
  cons
  
• bad battery life
  
• bad camera
  
• integrated graphics? (only if you are going to play intense games)
  
  good luck ;)
  
  
  Laptops are getting cheaper now, so if you save until 1k you will be able to get decent gaming laptops with decent designs, or very nice ultra-portable laptops with good battery life, good display, good keyboard, and everything else very nice
  ((I personally recommend dell xps 13 if you can save more money)

Between the two I would go with this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YMY5VZ