Hey, I'm going to update my request. I posted earlier in the week and had time to think this weekend.

Reflections:

• Shopping for laptops is stressful; almost every lower-budget machine has big trade-offs these days!
  
• Lots of cheaper machines make compromises on basic quality of life; screen, keyboard, touchpad and so on..
  
• I really like the aesthetic of the Asus Zenbooks with the Ergo-Hinge, but they're all very different model to model.
  
• I've noticed QA issues amongst the reviews for products with the R5-3500u/3700u as well as heat/noise concerns. In retrospect these are issues that I don't want to gamble on; which also makes the Lenovo Flex 14'' & APU's less attractive.
  
• The Flex 14'' is a really good value and has a pretty secure spot at being a 2nd or 3rd choice.
  
• Something I've realized is that I don't really need a dedicated GDDR5 GPU like the MX150 or MX250.
  
  

  General Usage Habits:
  

  
  

• 10-15 Firefox Tabs
  
• Youtube, Spotify, Pandora.
  
• Netflix, Amazon Prime, Streaming.
  
• I'd like to play around w/ Linux.
  
  Budget: Initially; $400-600; but concern with build quality pushes me towards < $1000
  
  Country: USA ~Getting to a Microcenter, BestBuy or Walmart isn't a problem.
  
  Screen size: 13-14'' -- 1080p; prefer SSD & 8GB of RAM.
  
  Screen resolution: Prefer 1080p with solid brightness & good viewing angles.
  
  Heat:
  
  Sound: I'll likely bring my soundbar/headphones, but sound isn't unimportant.
  
  Touch screen: Depends; I think it's almost mandatory for Chromebooks & less so for laptops.
  
  Battery Life: I want something that's fairly powerful but can last a full school day (5-10 hours).
  
  Weight**: Less than 5 lbs; considering various Chromebooks & Ultrabooks; the lighter the better.
  
  Tl;DR - Laptops & Chromebooks that I'm considering:
  
  

  Laptops:
  

  
  

1. Asus Zenbook UX333FA-DH51 $840
   
2. Asus Vivobook S14-S432 & S15-S532 $750-900
   
3. Acer Aspire Slim 5: A515-54G-53H6 $650
   
4. Lenovo Flex 14'' R5-3500u $560
   https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-flex-series/Lenovo-IdeaPad-FLEX-15IWL/p/88IP8FX1272 (Lenovo Holiday sales ~ 10th Gen Intel = nice integrated graphics (for me anyway..)
   
5. ASUS ZenBook 13 UX333FA-DH51
   
6. HP Spectre x360 15-ch011dx Convertible
   
   I know that I could get better "value" - with a 10th gen i5 & an MX250 w/ the Acer Aspire Slim 5. The hardware is better, but I find the build quality concerning because this is a machine that'll go pretty much everywhere with me. The Vivobook, while less expensive loses a lot of battery life compared to the UX333FA; which I'm considering picking up used or possibly on Ebay because I love the aesthetic and getting it for ~ $700 is a much more competitive deal for me.
   
   Edit (adding some Microcenter deals) UX333FA-DH51 is @ $800 & HP Spectre x360 is at $850/800 too.

The best laptop for that would be the Lenovo Yoga 720 2-in-1

· 15.6" 4K UHD IPS Touch-Screen 90% sRGB (Argyll 3D) 59% AdobeRGB

· Intel Core i7-7700HQ,

· 16GB RAM,

· 512GB SSD,

· NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050,

· Thunderbolt, Fingerprint Reader, Backlit Keyboard

This laptop balances work and play with its powerful GPU and its 2 in 1 features which is ideal for drawing, editing and other creative work. It has a color accurate display which is ideal for editing and 4k resolution is a big plus as well. 4k resolution does eat at battery life but you will still be able to get a bit over 7 hours from a full charge if you are using it casually. It has a good port selection with Thunderbolt being the best one as an eGPU can be added if you want more gaming power in the future. Build wise it has an aluminum chassis which is rigid and there is also little flex on the screen

Looking to upgrade my young son’s laptop. He mainly plays Roblox, but will likely branch out as he gets older. Looking for something that will be decent for a few years. Thank you!

Budget: $300-$400

Country: USA

Screen size: 14+

Screen resolution: Good for games

Touch screen: Not important

Weight: Not important

Been looking at these from this thread. Let me know if any one stands out as the best:

$300 range:

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U, 6GB RAM Memory, 1TB HDD, 8X DVD, E5-576-392H

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i3-8130U-Memory-E5-576-392H/dp/B079TGL2BZ

Or

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3 Graphics, 4GB DDR4, 128GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10 in S Mode, A515-43-R19L

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Display-Graphics-Keyboard-A515-43-R19L/dp/B07RF1XD36

One tier up:

ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6" FHD, Intel Core i3-8145U CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Windows 10 in S Mode, F512FA-AB34, Slate Gray

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VivoBook-i3-8145U-Windows-F512FA-AB34/dp/B07RK5M35T

Best Buy also has this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-17-3-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-jet-black-maglia-pattern/6356671.p?skuId=6356671

Walmart has:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-14-Laptop-Intel-10th-Gen-Core-i5-1035G1-8GB-SDRAM-256GB-SSD-16GB-Intel-Optane-memory-Natural-Silver-14-dq1039wm/569648772

Since you don't move around much with this system, I would recommend you get a 17.3 inches laptop - a bigger screen is always nicer for gaming and larger laptops manage heat better. In your budget range and based on what you will be doing with this laptop, my top choice is this Eluktronics MECH-17 G1R that comes with the RTX 2070 graphics card which is one of the most powerful out there on the market. It also has a strong processor, nice 16 GB RAM and a fast SSD... It manages heat very well which is a big plus.

Hi, the two devices you listed are definitely solid options to consider. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar II is a great value currently with an RTX 2070 graphics card, while the MSI GS75 provides the best possible performance close to budget. The 9th generation Intel processors perform only slightly better than the 8th generation Intel processors, which makes the 8th generation processors just fine.

If you are ok with a portable 14" display, id recommend you get this Acer Swift 3. It comes with the latest 8th gen i5cpu, 8gb of ram, 256gb ssd storage, battery life is remarkable and it has a great 1080p display.

If you rather a bigger display with identical specs, theASUS VivoBook S would be a great option but it is at the top end of your budget.
if you would like something with a dedicated gpu then this Acer Aspire E 15 would be the laptop for you.

• 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U
  
• GeForce MX150
  
• 8GB RAM Memory
  
• 256GB SSD
  
• windows 10

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.

I spent about 3 days of research with the same requirements and came up with this for $950

Eluktronics N850HK1 Pro-X Gaming Laptop

In this range you'll probably get some common recommendations like Acer Helios, Nitro, Dell G3/G5, HP Omen.

I eliminated all of these due to build quality issues as well as looking like hardcore-gamer PCs (with the exception of the G3, though it has many other issues).

If you don't mind that "hardcore gamer" look I'd probably have picked the Acer Nitro5 on a budget or the Helios for best overall value.

Battery life, lightweight, and gaming do not go together if you want ultra specs. If gaming is your priority you can look at the Dell i7577-5241BLK-PUS

· 15.6" FHD IPS

· 7th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H,

· GTX 1060 6GB Graphics,

· 8GB Memory,

· 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD,

· 5.76 lbs

A powerful gaming laptop which provides great value with a powerful GTX 1060 and a quad-core CPU for below $1000. The system will boot quickly with the OS on the fast SSD and videos, pictures and large files can be stored on the HDD

How is Eluktronics as a brand? I personally have never heard of them, but this laptop from the list looks REALLY well built and the specs are awesome. Any opinions, based on experience or not, are VERY appreciated!

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.

Yes I agree the

Acer E15
-----------------
would be the best choice for you in that price range your working with.

As far as I can tell, this Acer Aspire 5 is the same price as the one in the $600-699 category but has the newer i5-10210 instead of the i5-8265. Not seeing any other differences in specs :) Any reason to favor the i5-8265 model?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QXL8YCX/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 I ended up getting this with a bunch of external adaptors and drives. With all of the stuff it still came out to 742.00 dollars :) I think I did ok :)

Which one is the best value for the price

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yoga-710-2-in-1-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black/5722735.p?skuId=5722735&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=552&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=43fc4f2c-083e-48e4-a647-ad1e11f3b52c&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg266300&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575G-57D4-15-6-Inches-Notebook-i5-7200U/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1511290530&sr=1-2&refinements=p_n_operating_system_browse-bin:12035945011%7C12566246011%7C5945862011%7C5945861011%7C2232492011%7C562222011%7C2232496011%7C2232493011%7C2232495011%7C2232494011%7C5945864011&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=bkadamos_block2-20&linkId=1a2b62a04bcadae9746a98ec7359b596

https://www.amazon.com/VivoBook-i5-8250U-NanoEdge-Fingerprint-F510UA-AH51/dp/B0762S8PYM

Wife doing detailed statistical work. Needs a new workhorse.

Also wants touchscreen. Which of these ?

i7 = Acer Spin 3 $809 = Acer Spin 3 Convertible Laptop, 14" Full HD IPS Touch, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Rechargeable Active Stylus, SP314-53N-77AJ

or..

AMD Ryzen 5 = Lenovo Flex 2-in-1 $549 = Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop, 14 Inch FHD Touchscreen Display, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor, 12GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD, Windows 10, 81SS000DUS, Black, Pen Included

or any other suggestions ? help !

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Yoga-15-6-Touch-Screen-Thunderbolt/dp/B072M22XK8/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=lenovo%2Byoga%2B720&qid=1566955710&s=gateway&sr=8-5&th=1&psc=1

My friend says I can buy his laptop for $750. How good of a deal is this? He only had it for a year.

Anyone have experience with this laptop?

I had actually been looking at this version of the Acer Aspire 5 that's $50 cheaper. It looks like the only difference is the processor. I have to be honest, I don't know much about this stuff. What's the difference between Intel Core i5-8265U vs Core i5-10210U? Is it big enough of a difference for the $50?

Do you think this one is good to run Overwatch, gtav, LoL, and other games like that?
If not, is there a better option for a $650 or lower range?

dang this is a pretty good deal. I was sort of waiting for this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=twister_B076919RKR?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

but this dell might be a better deal

For general use the 8gb should be fine though, correct?

I’ve been juggling a few laptops to choose this Black Friday.

What do you think? Is the one listed here still the better choice for the price?


ASUS VivoBook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795W86N3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VEW8BbWNE4C9H


Acer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1TS-000X-00UY5&ignorebbr=true

This Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 would be perfect for what you want. It will run games and for travelling , it's incredible 12 hours battery life will be key.

Budget: $500 tops

County: USA

Screen: 15.6"

Res: No pref

Touch: No pref

Weight: No pref

Friend asked me to recommend something no more than $500 for his wife to take some online courses. I see a lot of recommendations for the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop A515-54-51DJ, $550 total breaks his budget. Still gonna suggest he get it, but I was wondering about something under $500. Looks new without reviews, but any opinions on the ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin F512FA-AB34? If he says "No way I'm going over $500" I thinking that one or maybe the cheaper Aspire 5 slim A515-43-R19L. Anything else I should send his way?

Thanks in advance!

Links for reference....

$509 A515-54-51DJ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RF2123Z/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

$400 F512FA-AB34 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RK5M35T/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

$330 A515-43-R19L https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RF1XD36/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1J1GCINBY6DVN&psc=1

I would get the acer swift 3 or the ux331un, it is your choice whether to add those 200$ for the 2 in 1.

Also, I don't know if you must have the dGPU(mx150), it is not too strong, so maybe consider the ux430ua too, versus the acer swift 3 above, it is better by having 16gigs of ram(x2) and i7 8550u(instead of i5 8250u), however, it doesn't have a dGPU\>

Thoughts on this rig for GIS (data processing and rendering graphics) as well as a lot of photography/graphics and maybe light video editing (720-1080p not 4k)?

Acer Spin 3 Convertible Laptop, 14" Full HD IPS Touch, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Rechargeable Active Stylus, SP314-53N-77AJ

Prime day deal: $699 (14% of of regular $810)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MDDNCH2/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Is this a good price for the equipment I would be getting? Should I be waiting longer until Black Friday for a better deal?

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.

This Acer could be better as it has a ssd
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LD4MGY4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511624863&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=acer+aspire&dpPl=1&dpID=41HfDkXXyeL&ref=plSrch

The ASUS VivoBook Thin and Lightweight FHD WideView Laptop, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD+1TB HDD, USB Type-C, NanoEdge, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 - F510UA-AH55 would be a good selection for you.

Can someone give me a breakdown of why this deal is better than the regular ASUS VivoBooks?

/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 Acer Swift 3 i5 seems to be over.

The i7 is actually $100 cheaper now on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-i5-8250U-NVIDIA-GeForce-SF314-52G-55WQ/dp/B075KHGKMF/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1543263681&sr=1-4&keywords=acer%2Bswift%2B3&th=1

If you're in the market for a laptop with an RTX 2070, I recommend the Mech-17 G1R. It's $400 less than the Asus with the same specs and a larger screen.

Yeah I agree i'm just confused if this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MDDNCH2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the right way to go or to go for something with a 1660 ti for about 500 less, i dont even see this listed on most of these deal threads

Here's an [Asus Vivobook](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795W86N3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CGgJBbREKQZRZ]. Fits in your budget, good quality all around. I'm not sure if you can order from this link in the UK, but just look for the same model number from the link.

Any word on this one? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LD4MGY4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511656594&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=acer+aspire+e15&dpPl=1&dpID=41HfDkXXyeL&ref=plSrch

It was down to like $500 on black Friday but went back up in price. I was going to wait for cyber monday to see if it dropped any more

How would that AW compare to this Eluktronics one in terms of thermals and performance. Is it worth paying a couple hundred more for this?

It’s $50 cheaper on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0768M9KVY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MdSWDb5AZYKJK

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575G-57D4-15-6-Inches-Notebook-i5-7200U/dp/B01LD4MGY4

I'd say this since i owned it before... it shouldn't overheat that badly

ASUS Vivobook (1TB HDD + 128 gb SSD)

Acer Aspire E15 (256 gb SSD)

Both of these are solid choices with what you're looking for.

I'm talking about the Acer E15 7th gen one https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-57D4/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i2?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=873QJN8M36F5260A4R35&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2a864ace-95b0-4160-8611-8c68f18bad61&pf_rd_i=desktop

The HD 620 version is currently down to $315.
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575-33BM-15-6-Inch-Notebook-Generation/dp/B01K1IO3QW/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top

The 940MX version is on for $515.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=psdc_13896615011_t1_B01K1IO3QW

This Asus laptop or Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4?

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575G-57D4-15-6-Inches-Notebook-i5-7200U/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=psdcmw_13896615011_t1_B01K1IO3QW

Here's a Dell G5 with all that for $950 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CD3MRZD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1wA7Bb3EB0RH1

What're people's thoughts on this deal: XPS15

How does it comapre to : https://www.amazon.com/Acer-SF315-41G-R6MP-Display-Graphics-Windows/dp/B07GDYNK3B/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=acer+swift&qid=1555922293&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GeForce-i7-8750H-Windows-GL504GW-DS74/dp/B07MDDNCH2

What's the difference between this laptop and this one? https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Vivobook-GeForce-Fingerprint-Backlit/dp/B07MKLLVFZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2DXDT6U8LUC45&keywords=asus+vivobook+k570zd&qid=1566250170&s=gateway&sprefix=asus+vivobook+k%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-3

Should I get this or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKLLVFZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Q-AvDb688JVF6

Using for College and Light Gaming and price range is around these two or less

what's the difference between that and https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Vivobook-GeForce-Fingerprint-Backlit/dp/B07MKLLVFZ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8