Windows Laptop suggestions

[puckhead193]

I'm in need of a PC laptop to run a specific software. SuiteCG. The specs required don't seem outrageous.
intel i5 3ghz or better, 8 gigs of ram, windows 10.

I'm looking for something a bit more maybe 16 gigs of ram, 512 SSD, HDMI, multiple USB C and A ports (bonus if I can charge through USB-C, lightweight and touchscreen (maybe like 14/15 inches)

I may do some very light video editing in the field if needed. Mostly HD, cutting up clips etc.

What's the deal with AMD Ryzen? Windows 10 vs Windows 11?

What are some good brands/models to look it? Lenovo? Acer? Dell? Asus?

I haven't bought a PC since my gateway 2000 that I had in high school so I'm at a complete loss at what to look for.

Thanks in advance!

 

[giffut]

Framework Laptop 16 now shipping

Framework Laptop: A thin, light, high-performance notebook that's upgradeable, repairable, and 100% yours. Order today with the latest configuration options.

frame.work

It does not have a touchscreen option yet, but all your other bullet points should be fullfilled. The great thing about this laptop/approach is the completely user selectable port configuration and repairability.

 

[maflynn]

What's the deal with AMD Ryzen? Windows 10 vs Windows 11?

The problem with AMD, revolves around windows 11 and it impacts performance. AMD is promising the issue will finally be resolved (but I heard that before ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

What are some good brands/models to look it? Lenovo? Acer? Dell? Asus?

Yes, those are good brands, it depends on what you're looking for, budget, and preferences. I'd recommend something from Lenovo. I think the Thinkpad Yoga for instance is a great laptop.

It does not have a touchscreen option yet, but all your other bullet points should be fullfilled. The great thing about this laptop/approach is the completely user selectable port configuration and repairability.

I'm torn by the Framework laptop. The philosophy is great, but you're buying it on faith. Here's one user's 6 month review. If it had a better GPU, I'd probably be more inclined to buy it myself.

 

[dfritchie]

I have no performance issues running win 11 on my AMD laptop.

 

[maflynn]

I have no performance issues running win 11 on my AMD laptop.

Yes, but that doesn't mean there's no issue
Windows 11 stuttering issues confirmed by AMD, but a fix is far off
AMD vows to fix Ryzen chip stuttering issues on Windows with new update
TPM is causing more issues with Windows 11 and Ryzen CPUs

 

[TechRunner]

+1 for Lenovo laptops. The Dell XPS 15 I have is a great laptop, but you’re more likely to enter the QC lottery with Dell than Lenovo. Mine is a perfect gem, but many are not. Agree with @maflynn on the Thinkpad Yogas. Also consider the X1 Carbon.

 

[maflynn]

Agree with @maflynn on the Thinkpad Yogas

I'm personally considering the Legion 5i laptop myself. I'm not ready to spend the money, but its on the radar for 2022. I can get a highly regarded, well reviewed laptop for what appears to be 1/2 the cost of what Razer is charging for their latest model.

 

[TechRunner]

I'm personally considering the Legion 5i laptop myself. I'm not ready to spend the money, but its on the radar for 2022. I can get a highly regarded, well reviewed laptop for what appears to be 1/2 the cost of what Razer is charging for their latest model.

I eyed the Legions when I was shopping, but way more horsepower than I need. They’re nice, though!

 

[Technerd108]

I would suggest a Surface Laptop 4. I found a great deal on a base model for around $600. You can upgrade the ssd yourself if the base storage is too low. I can't find a better laptop for less. Mine has a Ryzen processor and 8gb ram which is fine for what I do with it. You might be able to find an Intel or Ryzen model with 16gb but it would cost around $1000 which is still a good deal but for $600 the Surface is hard to beat and unless you are doing crazy multitasking the speed is just fine.

AMD Ryzen vs Intel. Both 11th and 12th gen Intel processors are great and fast. The only issue with intel is heat and lower battery life but you get better performance in single core which for most people is more important. AMD Ryzen 4000 and above are all great processors on TSMC 7nm process. I am not sure about 6000 series as it might be on 6nm? The Ryzen processors have more cores and have better multi core performance, run cooler, and have better battery life. I personally like AMD processors better now but once Intel catches up and with Alder Lake having more cores and better single core performance it is a hard choice. Both are excellent in the latest iteration. Since most laptops are thermally constrained I think AMD has a slight advantage.

Another great device is an HP Aero with an OLED screen and prices are very reasonable. I just like Microsoft Surface devices build quality better and the fact that all the drivers come direct from Microsoft and not a third party.

Windows 11 and Windows 10 are great. However I would get a device with Windows 11 upgrade compatibility at the least and preinstalled with Windows 11 even better. There are some elements of Windows 11 I don't like but they are not huge issues and overall I like Windows 11. It is really a personal choice but I always like to stay o the most current software of any platform.

Good luck!

 

[puckhead193]

I picked up this Lenovo from Costco for $1100.. link

• 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor
• 15.6" Touchscreen IPS with LED Backlight 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 500-Nits Display
• NVIDIA GeForce MX450 Graphics, 2GB
• Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader and Webcam with Privacy Shutter
• Microsoft® Windows 11 Professional (64 bit)

It does the job But I will never complain about the apple tax on computers.
The fan is constantly on, battery life is eh and windows 11 pro is windows 11 pro. I'm scared to even attempt to open photoshop or Premier. The computer might take off from the fans.

Any suggestions on software to download. I would like a mail app for gmail and my dot Mac account. (yes I'm that old) virus scanner thing?
What about a dongle. It only has one usb C for charging. Would like to add one for charging and another USB C or more plus maybe ethernet. Since it uses USB C I'm going to assume I can use any USB C charger that 65w or more. (at least that's what the included adaptor says.

 

[bobcomer]

I picked up this Lenovo from Costco for $1100.. link

• 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor
• 15.6" Touchscreen IPS with LED Backlight 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 500-Nits Display
• NVIDIA GeForce MX450 Graphics, 2GB
• Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader and Webcam with Privacy Shutter
• Microsoft® Windows 11 Professional (64 bit)

It does the job But I will never complain about the apple tax on computers.
The fan is constantly on, battery life is eh and windows 11 pro is windows 11 pro. I'm scared to even attempt to open photoshop or Premier. The computer might take off from the fans.

Any suggestions on software to download. I would like a mail app for gmail and my dot Mac account. (yes I'm that old) virus scanner thing?
What about a dongle. It only has one usb C for charging. Would like to add one for charging and another USB C or more plus maybe ethernet. Since it uses USB C I'm going to assume I can use any USB C charger that 65w or more. (at least that's what the included adaptor says.

You don't say how much RAM it has, but it'll probably do photoshop or premier just fine, it wont take off. Lenovo's are designed pretty well.

The built in email would work for you, but I like Thunderbird with my many accounts. If you're the careful type anyway, Windows 11 has enough built in antivirus.

There's several USB-c, ethernet/port expander with power pass through, and that's what I use. Yeah, any USB-c charger should work.

 

[puckhead193]

You don't say how much RAM it has, but it'll probably do photoshop or premier just fine, it wont take off. Lenovo's are designed pretty well.

The built in email would work for you, but I like Thunderbird with my many accounts. If you're the careful type anyway, Windows 11 has enough built in antivirus.

There's several USB-c, ethernet/port expander with power pass through, and that's what I use. Yeah, any USB-c charger should work.

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback.

It has 16gigs so on paper the specs should be decent

 

[roxygal9]

Im going to give a huge endorsement for the x1 Yoga - it is a phenomenal machine with the intel evo i7, human detection webcam, amazing battery life (although not m1 macbook epic), nice trackpad, and great touch screen. I got the matte version of this laptop and have enjoyed every moment of it. Cant go wrong with a thinkpad.

 

[ian87w]

I picked up this Lenovo from Costco for $1100.. link

• 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor
• 15.6" Touchscreen IPS with LED Backlight 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 500-Nits Display
• NVIDIA GeForce MX450 Graphics, 2GB
• Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader and Webcam with Privacy Shutter
• Microsoft® Windows 11 Professional (64 bit)

It does the job But I will never complain about the apple tax on computers.
The fan is constantly on, battery life is eh and windows 11 pro is windows 11 pro. I'm scared to even attempt to open photoshop or Premier. The computer might take off from the fans.

Any suggestions on software to download. I would like a mail app for gmail and my dot Mac account. (yes I'm that old) virus scanner thing?
What about a dongle. It only has one usb C for charging. Would like to add one for charging and another USB C or more plus maybe ethernet. Since it uses USB C I'm going to assume I can use any USB C charger that 65w or more. (at least that's what the included adaptor says.

For mail on Windows, I actually just use the default Windows Mail client. It's good enough and supports GMail and iCloud just fine. If you have Office 365 subscription, then you can download and use Outlook. It might be overly complicated for simple personal email though.

As for anti-virus, since Windows 7 days, I only use the default Windows Defender. I always uninstall any 3rd party anti-virus software on my Windows machine and just use the built-in Windows defender. Never have any issues.

For 3rd party USB-C charger, make sure it supports USB Power Delivery, as this is probably the standard used by most laptop (including Apple's). Careful on the USB-C cables though, not all cable are actually proper USB-C cable capable of USB-PD. There are too many USB-C cables out there that are simply USB2.0 cable.

My other must-have softwares on Windows:
Foobar2000: audio player
VLC: video player
Handbrake: video encoding/transcoding
XODO: PDF reader. I used to use Foxit, but XODO allows me to merge PDFs.

 

[MBAir2010]

for others on the same mission
There is something about the Dell XPS 13" 2019 that reminds me of using a MacBook
the trackpad is similar and the the typing seems the same.
the laptop is sturdy and even Linus tech tips gave that a good review.

but
battery is 2hours, then 39 minutes, then shuts down after 10 minutes
while my MacBook air 2010 battery last 3 hours....still today.
some ports might be loose after constant dongling to a TV.
windows 11 was not for me, too many steps to copy and paste.

i dont regret the Dell XPS and love the laptop!

 

[1885507]

Look up "Lenovo" and "Superfish" when you have time, it may change your mind about Thinkpads.

 

[exoticSpice]

It does the job But I will never complain about the apple tax on computers.
The fan is constantly on, battery life

Intel Mac's were also like this. Intel needs to move to more efficient node and CPU architecture. Meteor Lake, Intel's 14th gen coming out next year should do this.

 

[exoticSpice]

Look up "Lenovo" and "Superfish" when you have time, it may change your mind about Thinkpads.

They got rid of it. As far I am aware that was ages ago. Still would get a Lenevo, cause they make great hardware.

 

[Healthy27]

+1 for Lenovo

 

[TechRunner]

They got rid of it. As far I am aware that was ages ago. Still would get a Lenevo, cause they make great hardware.

They sure do. My wife’s X1 Carbon is a great machine. And you’re right on Superfish too. Old news.

 

[DarthVader!]

Look up "Lenovo" and "Superfish" when you have time, it may change your mind about Thinkpads.

That occurred 6 years ago - ancient history in terms of computers. Also if you do your own research you'll see that the only software that is bundled with thinkpads is Lenovo's own Vantage software. Nice attempt at FUD, but you missed the mark.

As an owner of a Thinkpad, they are excellent machines, and just visit the the thinkpad reddit sub, and you'll see how loyal and dedicated its owners are

 

[1885507]

That occurred 6 years ago - ancient history in terms of computers. Also if you do your own research you'll see that the only software that is bundled with thinkpads is Lenovo's own Vantage software. Nice attempt at FUD, but you missed the mark.

Not too ancient, it seems.

 

[DarthVader!]

Not too ancient, it seems.

Apples and oranges. Its one thing that lenovo had installed questionable bloatware and quite another dealing with a UEFI vulnerability which btw was already patched by lenovo.

We can say the same thing about Apple:

Apple Neglects to Patch Two Zero-Day, Wild Vulnerabilities for macOS Big Sur, Catalina

 

[science03]

ThinkPad P17 here with a Quadro RTX 5000 and a Xeon 10855 6-core processor. I have 4 external 4K 27" dell monitors and run this thing through Throttlestop with the turbo off, and the SST at 0 so it pins the base clock (2.7GHz). Never realized how much will run just fine without the need for a turbo boost. I control the fans with TPFanControl and right now my CPU is at 35* as I type this. Mind you that is with everything connected, on, and the fan curve is currently at 1620RPM which is the lowest setting aside from having it completley off. Fan is inaudible at this speed unless you stick your face up near the laptop. When I get into heavy lift I just put the turbo boost back on and let it stretch it's legs.

An Apple Laptop will NEVER have the above explained capability. ThinkPad's rule if you know how to use them. They are not for turn key users.

 

[1885507]

Apples and oranges. Its one thing that lenovo had installed questionable bloatware and quite another dealing with a UEFI vulnerability which btw was already patched by lenovo.

We can say the same thing about Apple:

Apple Neglects to Patch Two Zero-Day, Wild Vulnerabilities for macOS Big Sur, Catalina

Oh yes, any given UEFI engineering vulnerability is clearly far worse than the Superfish malware from '15. --on this, no argument with you but a curious pattern of mishaps, no?

Meanwhile, I find your comparison to Apple also curious: Let's consider for the moment that Windows 10 Version 2004 was released the same year as Big Sur and M$ predictably stopped supporting it in 2021. Additionally, Windows 10 Version 1903 was released same year as Catalina and it stopped receiving support from M$ in 2020. Anecdotally, Monterrey was patched for said vulnerability last March, and it remains a free OS update for most Macs sold in the last 5-9 years.