High End Laptop for Programming

ForeverInBlueJeans on 23/07/2017 - 13:24
Last edited 23/07/2017 - 14:01 by 1 other user

Hello, I'm currently looking for a laptop I can run at home (only) for programming/running servers (purely for development)
I stumbled across this in JB

15.6", i7, 256 SSD, 16GB ram, and 1.8KG with 15% off comes down to $1358

and a Dell 15(8GB and a bit heavier)

With work I can get 20% off the Dell XPS so this laptop for $2400 approx

Although this is a bit heaver, apart from the screen and double SSD.
I have also seen quite a few Lenovo deals popping up.

Ideally I am looking for i7, 256SSD and at least 8GB ram (must be upgradable) and ideal 15"+

Computing

Comments

  • KaTst3R on 23/07/2017 - 13:38
    +6

    If you are using it exclusively for home usage, why not get a PC? A PC is cheaper, has better performance and you choose whichever screen size you want.

  • nephilim on 23/07/2017 - 13:56

    ROG Strix using Ryzens come out next month, most likely be able to get for about 2k shipped from USA or 3k local (lol).
    Basically have massive CPU power over those dual core i7 in high end laptops.

  • Lv80 on 23/07/2017 - 14:06
    +1

    I picked up a 2012 i7 macbook pro with a 256ssd and 8gb ram for $550. Mickey mouse condition and it's a mac. Sure not new, but if you but a good second hand computer it will be better than an ordinary one once out of warranty

    • ash79 on 23/07/2017 - 17:57

      Where did you manage to find good second hand deal? Any pointers? I am after mac book pro with 8GB RAM, I don't mind exploring preowned :)

      • Lv80 on 23/07/2017 - 22:00

        Gumtree and facebook buy swap sell groups. Just keep your eyes peeled and don't be afraid to make an offer

  • bjdchwr on 23/07/2017 - 14:38
    +4

    i7 Processor 7500U…Ummmm

    JB is fine if you REALLY need it urgently. I would come to Dell or Lenovo online store…

    That's the ULV version CPU. I don't think it's considered as high end laptop.

    I strongly recommend you to pick HQ series rather than this CPU.

  • scotty on 23/07/2017 - 15:24
    +7

    Programming itself does not use much processing power, and those dual core ULV CPUs would have no problem running whatever development environment you throw at them. However if you are running servers in VMs, then you might want to consider those with quad core CPU. Check out Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming or Lenovo ThinkPad E570p for cheap quad-core + GTX1050ti laptops.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/07/2017 - 18:04

    Macbook Pro does all you need. Do it.

  • psyren89 on 23/07/2017 - 18:28

    What kinds of things will you be programming? If the answer has anything to do with .Net, you'll need a Windows machine. For just about everything else, a *nix environment is much more pleasant to use.

    • smux on 24/07/2017 - 08:09

      He could install either on the laptop he purchases.

      • psyren89 on 24/07/2017 - 10:07
        +1

        Was going to say if Windows development doesn't come into it, a MBP would be ideal.

  • closey on 23/07/2017 - 21:07
    +2

    How about an XPS 15 from the Dell Outlet (refurb): http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…

    REFURBISHED XPS 15 Laptop, 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad Core (6M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz) 16GB (2x8G) 2133MHz DDR4 Memory 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive Windows 10 Home (64bit) English DW1830 3x3 802.11ac 2.4/5GHz + Bluetooth 4.1 15.6" 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge touch, Silver NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 960M with 2GB GDDR5 130 Watt AC Adaptor Dell 84 WHr 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery Internal US International Qwerty Backlit Keyboard 1 Year 1 $ 1,799

  • AlienC on 24/07/2017 - 06:48

    That Dell inspiron 15 5000 looks pretty good for $1100 AUD but trust me it isn't.

    For $500 AUD more you can get a way better graphics card, much better cpu and more ram and I bet the ssd is ten times better too.

    Comparison of performance between the two GPU's.

    http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R7-M445-vs-GeForce-GTX-1060

    Link to Amazon page:

    https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-Helios-GeForce-G3-571-7…

    (Thank Linus Tech Tips for that)

    $1566 AUD (total including shipping and import duty fees)

    Quick Specs

    7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
    15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen IPS display
    16GB DDR4 Memory & 256GB SSD
    Up to 7-hours of battery life
    6 pounds weight

    The $2400 AUD 4k screen from jb hi fi does look nice but for a GTX 1050 only no way 1070 minimum for that price or nothing unless you are just watching YouTube videos or media and very light editing with 3D models and otherwise. Decently priced 4k screens imho are very hard to find.

  • furys12 on 24/07/2017 - 09:16

    (must be upgradable)

    pretty much knocks HP out of contention, there crap is horrible for upgradability, if being able to upgrade the RAM (and HDD) is a priority you should go the extra research mile and make sure the model can be upgraded easily

  • peteru on 24/07/2017 - 14:24

    I have been using a Metabox Prime P650R http://metabox.com.au and am very happy with it. It runs Linux and is used for both coding and building LARGE projects. When I say large, I mean large, like entire Linux distros with a few thousand packages. The i7-6820HK routinely runs at 3+GHz and even with 32GB RAM I have two sockets spare to go to 64GB RAM. I have three SSDs in there, 2x256GB and a 2TB and the Intel 6820 wireless is not too bad. I find that at 15" screen size, 1920x1080 resolution is about right, but if you want to go 4k, it's an option. The keyboard is actually pretty usable for a laptop and typing on it isn't as annoying as some other keyboards, such as my previous HP or a Dell I had to use recently. The backlighting on the keyboard works well and the screen brightness (and non-glossy finish) is good for both daytime and nighttime use.

    Kong computers http://www.kongcomputers.com.au have OzBargain deals regularly and I've gotten great service from them when I needed the laptop in a hurry to travel overseas.

    The current Metabox models are even higher spec than what I have. I like the idea that they are reasonably upgradable. About the only reservation I have is that you can't get a model without a GPU. I would have preferred no GPU, since for programming and compiling the Intel i7 HD graphics would have been adequate. A GPU just adds an unnecessary cost and increases weight and power usage.

  • ForeverInBlueJeans on 24/07/2017 - 18:43

    Thanks guys,
    I went with the XPS 15 from https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/320283
    Appreciate all the time and effort with the replies.

    • peteru on 24/07/2017 - 22:59
      -3

      Good luck with it. I hope you enjoy using it and it meets your needs.

      Are you actually going with that low-end config or did you "version up" to something beefier? I'd hate to run a development system with less than 16-32GB RAM and 1TB for storage!

      • ForeverInBlueJeans on 25/07/2017 - 07:33

        Yes I have a spare 8Gb ram at home. I don't think I need a TB of storage.

  • xravisher on 27/07/2017 - 18:16
    +1

    For future programmers looking for a High End Laptop, I would focus on the following aspects:
    1.] Lots of RAM
    2.] Current Generation CPU
    3.] Fast(ish) SSD

    Programmers will mostly require ram due to always having multiple applications / services open at any given time, they include but are not limited to:
    - VMs/Hypervisors,
    - IDEs
    - UI Generation (Photoshop)
    - VCS
    - etc.

    Secondly most new development frameworks will utilize the added instruction sets in new CPU generations, so in most cases a slower newer generation CPU is much better than a faster older generation.

    Lastly, Disk is almost always the reason for slow speeds involving disk I/O. Having an SSD here will noticably improve both the OS and your development experience.

    At the time of writing this article I would recommend the following:
    - RAM: DDR4 16GB (2400MHz)
    - CPU: 6th Generation Intel Core i7. Larger L1, L2 & L3 Cache preferable [pick the speed that best suits your budget]
    - SSD: Samsung EVO (PRO) [pick the size that best suits you here]

    Hope this helps :)

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