Laptop Recommendation - Same Old Question

robcheale3 · 2017-02-02T10:48:42.000Z

Hi all,

Often a question I see floating about on these forums. I’m considering getting a new laptop - I’m currently using a Macbook Air which dual boots into Windows. It’s great for hobbies like writing and browsing the Internet and even taking on holiday to upload photos to. But then there are days when I grumble with 4GB of RAM and not being able to do anything aside from that.

So, I’m wondering if there are any powerful, light-weight laptops people would recommend?

Ideally I’d need something with 16GB of RAM and a decent graphics card (I will be using virtual machines and developing in Unreal Engine as a hobby). I do already have a PC for this kind of thing, but I’d like something mobile I can work whilst on the train/plane. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking of a powerful Surface Pro 4, although they don’t really have a decent graphics card and I just liked the idea of a touch screen tablet for simple browsing.

Any help with this would be appreciated

P.S. Budget doesn’t matter too much… as long as it’s not over £2000.

michaelk12 · 2017-02-02T11:02:17.000Z

If you’re going to be using virtual machines and developing in games, I absolutely wouldn’t recommend a Surface Pro 4. If you REALLY want something from the surface lineup with a small amount of graphics horsepower then look at the Surface Book. Their highest end model is the only one that has 16GB of RAM and runs for $2200 on Amazon (yikes!). Even then, the lack of I/O and common issues make it hard to recommend for work use (though it’s a gorgeous device)

For mobile workstations, we typically recommend various models from the HP ZBook line.

68lrak · 2017-02-02T11:15:01.000Z

SP4 has a good enough GPU to play Dark Souls

maxsec · 2017-02-02T11:15:46.000Z

upto 16gb - Latitude E7480 thats about to be available… 1.3kg which is about the the same as Macbook with the dongles

mattchapman4962 · 2017-02-02T11:26:53.000Z

Personally, I’d be looking at the Dell XPS15 range.

Core i7, up to 32Gb, 4Gb GPU, 4K touchscreen, eSata SSD (means you can plug in a fat HDD too if you want).

Also look nice and are lightweight.

I’ve got an older one at home and it is brilliant.

nicksantella · 2017-02-02T13:05:46.000Z

Look at the HP zBook. I have been using one that has an i7, 16GB RAM, Graphics Card, 2 x 256 SSD’s.

I love it. It moves faster than me :).

They also have a reasonable price point

@HP

@priscilla-hp

kelly-for-dell · 2017-02-02T13:52:49.000Z

Hey Rob - Based on the details you’re looking for…What would your thoughts be on Dell’s Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 ? It’s a touchscreen. You would be able to customize with your choice of Windows 10 Pro or downgrade to Windows 10 Home. It also includes an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB memory, a 512GB SSD hard drive, and 2GB graphics card.

Let me know what you think, and feel free to reach out!

scinico · 2017-02-02T13:54:26.000Z

You can find a refurbished 2015 15" MacBook Pro for $1,399 no tax and free shipping on EBay. Saw the deal on Slickdeals.net

No dedicated GPU, but 16 GB RAM and fast PCIe SSD.

priscilla-hp · 2017-02-02T17:20:20.000Z

nicksantella:

Look at the HP zBook. I have been using one that has an i7, 16GB RAM, Graphics Card, 2 x 256 SSD’s.

I love it. It moves faster than me :).

They also have a reasonable price point

Hello TitanRob16, thank you for your post. We appreciate @nicksantella’s HP zBook recommendation and his tag. To add to his comments, you may want to view this exciting feature and hear what other IT Pros, HP workstation manager and NASA have to say about the HP zBook. @nicksantella says, “It moves faster than me.” It sure does…even flying into space.- In the following post, Spiceworks’ Justin O lists the “On the Air” feature with HP and NASA discussing the HP zbook as his number 2 favorite moment of “On the Air”. My Top 10 Favorite Moments of 'On the Air'

Click on the post that follows to read a follow-up of the above “On the Air” that includes additional raves by members of the community. Like @nicksantella, they also share their love for the HP zbook. Everything you ever wanted to know about being part of the IT team at NASA!
Obtain more details about the amazing HP zbooks by clicking on this link: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/workstations/workstation-ultrabooks.html

Let us know if you have questions or require additional information.

@nicksantella @robcheale3

priscilla-hp · 2017-02-02T18:56:32.000Z

Hello again TitanRob16, in addition to @nicksantella’s zBook recommendation, you may also want to consider the stunning HP Elite Series of computers. Please see the discussion in the following:

Need Help, Looking at Rugged Laptop/Tablet Hardware

Hi, I'm curently looking to buy 8 Ruggedt Laptop. They are for a Mill so Dust and waters pill are everyday condition for this place. Drop resistant is a +. Now, my problem is i would like one that a big charging station/Doscking station that would fit multiple at the same time, so all the employee can drop them off at night. does this exist?

Priscilla@HP Jan 12, 2017 at 2:33 PM

Priscilla@HP Dec 15, 2016 at 9:53 AM

EliteBook_1030.jpg800×450 31.3 KB

@robcheale3

brittany-for-lenovo · 2017-02-02T23:32:09.000Z

For some reason I can’t find the ThinkPad section on the Lenovo UK site, but I would suggest looking into either the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or the ThinkPad P50s. The X1 Carbon would do the job, I believe, but it wouldn’t have the GPU that you’d find in the P50s. The only reason I’m hesitant to recommend the P50s right now is the fact that it’s quite a big heavier than the X1 Carbon and harder to carry around. But, take a look at them for yourself:

http://shop.lenovo.com/spiceworks/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/p-series/p50s/
http://shop.lenovo.com/spiceworks/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon-4/

cdoublejj · 2017-02-03T13:34:39.000Z

The Toshiba Tecra Z50s can come with 16gb and an SSD or at least can. also have can come with a 1080p screen too! only con is the Docs aren’t as easy to use as some but, not really hard to dock either but, could be a little nicer.