Laptop Suggestions Please - Light Gaming, Grunty Processor, Good Battery Life, Not Too Big (Budget $1500)

wombat81 on 02/11/2020 - 23:31
Last edited 03/11/2020 - 09:51 by 1 other user

Gday all,
I'm after a bit of an all-rounder laptop for my son. It's primarily for school use but also some light gaming on weekends eg Fortnite and some sandbox games. I'm after:
* at least 6 hours of battery life, but the more the better
* it needs to last 3-4 years so I'd like a pretty grunty processor eg an i7 or Ryzen 7
* a reasonable amount of RAM and/or could be upgraded down the track
* dedicated graphics above entry level
* reasonably compact so up to a 14" screen
* something pretty robust like the Dell laptops I've used for work for quite a while
* no need for touch screen but nice to have
* budget is about $1500.

I like the robustness and battery life of the Dell work laptops I've had but the only ones I can find that seem to match the specs I'm after are:
* Vostro 15 7000 ($1639) but it's big at 15.6 inches and only has a 3 cell battery https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/business-laptops-ultrab…
* Inspiron 15 7000 ($1619) but same issues as above https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-700…

It seems like finding something with half decent dedicated graphics under 15" is going to be a challenge.

Finally, I'm in no hurry as it won't be needed until the end of Jan next year, but I want to start looking around and keeping an eye out for deals.

Thanks very much for any suggestions.

Computing

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 02/11/2020 - 23:47
    +2

    What about a cheaper netbook for school and a desktop gaming PC, for about the same price all up? Or do you really want to be able to play games at school and at mates place?

    • wombat81 on 02/11/2020 - 23:48

      Thanks, but yeah I think I'd prefer one device.

  • JownehFixIT on 02/11/2020 - 23:51
    +1

    Check out the Asus Zephyrus G14. Bit pricy, but nice form factor and powerhouse CPU.
    $2199 at a few computer shops around. https://tinyurl.com/y65cc4dk
    You can save about $50 off the GTX 1650 ti model at pbtech https://www.pbtech.com/au/product/NBKASU4010003/ASUS-ROG-Zep…

    Depending on the model, the G14 can run up to 9 hours on battery too!

  • Paul Atreides on 03/11/2020 - 00:40

    you're looking for a pretty niche category for that budget as 14" screens and under are quite specialised already. the only two with dGPU I'm aware of are the G14 mentioned above, and the razer blade stealth 13" which is far outside your budget

    if you were considering 15" screens, two more options below

    Lenovo Ideapad 3 (I believe the ram is soldered on so you need to spec up when purchasing, double check this)
    https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-3-serie…

    Omen 15 (bit outside budget)
    https://store.hp.com/au-en/default/laptops-tablets/gaming/om…

    • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 01:03

      Thanks mate. I'll check them out.

    • krenske on 03/11/2020 - 01:04

      Second the omen 15 - new version though!
      Great laptop you can find on sale often even though it’s still pretty new

      • JownehFixIT on 03/11/2020 - 08:38

        The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is a powerhouse, but certainly not that portable. Can be had for under $2k (if they ever ship the darn thing!)
        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/573813
        I had ordered one but didn't feel like waiting 8 or more weeks. No one would give me an ETA either.
        It's slightly chunkier than the Omen 15, but there's a great side by side comparison vid by Jarrod's Tech: https://youtu.be/L9NhW3Zk18I

        • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 10:02

          I'll have a look. Thanks.

  • Ryanek on 03/11/2020 - 08:49
    +2

    Props for a good quality request post.

    • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 10:00

      Thanks mate

  • Chandler on 03/11/2020 - 08:53
    +4
    • Grunty Processor
    • Good Battery Life
    • Not Too Big

    Pick 2

    • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 10:00

      As i look further, i think you're right…

      • Chandler on 03/11/2020 - 10:44

        Sorry for the low-effort reply, although the point does stand.

        I have some opinions but I haven't been looking for hardware for a few years and was never really confident picking hardware in the first place.

        Having said that, have a look at Clevo / Horize. You can sometimes get good specs at a reasonable price due to them being less mainstream, although places selling them tend to be more "boutique" (read: expensive). Some also have features that are rarer in a laptop - mine for example has 4 RAM slots which makes future upgrades cheaper, although I have a larger chassis (15" I think).

        Recent generation Intel chips are (supposedly) pretty good with battery while still being performant. Dedicated graphics are also not a must for most games these days, especially in a laptop. An i5 will probably do, but don't base your decision on this statement (or this comment, really).

        Also if you're trying to get better value, consider refurbished or ex government/corporate - mine was a refurb, and I haven't had any hardware issues with it (touch wood).

  • klonky on 03/11/2020 - 10:37

    If its light gaming have a look at the laptops with the MX350 graphics card. Alternatively the MX450 will be appearing to laptops toward the end of the year which looks to have the same power as the larger (older) 1050.

    Lenovo Slim 5i (14") https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-s-serie… $1499
    or get a bigger graphics card in the Yoga s740

    • The Value on 03/11/2020 - 15:03

      OP mentions light gaming but also mentions Fortnite and sandbox games.

      If you're even remotely interested in gaming, you must get a dedicated GPU.

      • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 15:39

        Yeah, sorry if I didn't explain that well. I definitely need a dedicated CPU and something above the minimum.

  • leiiv on 03/11/2020 - 10:51

    Does anyone know any laptop with Ryzen and dedicated Radeon?

  • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 12:12

    Any opinions on the Asus Tuf Gaming laptops? If I'm prepared to go to a bigger screen, those seem like reasonable options…

  • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 15:38

    This looks like a possibility https://store.hp.com/au-en/default/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-ec0…

    • JownehFixIT on 03/11/2020 - 20:45

      Could do the trick. It's a AMD Ryzen™ 5 3550H so not in the same realm as the 4000 series, paired with a GTX 1050.

      • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 21:26

        Are you able to comment at all about the real world differences between the 3000 and 4000 series?

        • JownehFixIT on 03/11/2020 - 23:10

          I'm no authority in terms of real world experience as I've got none with either APU as yet. Just that most YouTube tech reviewers talk about 3000 series like it's a second class citizen 😅 like they couldn't compete with the equivalent Intels of the generation.

  • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 23:08
    +1

    Thanks for all the comments, knowledge and feedback. I really appreciate it. At this stage I've got my eye on a few models including the Acer Nitro 5, MSI Alpha 15 and HP Pavilion Gaming. But the one that is jumping out at me is the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i (https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-3-serie…) in it's cheapest form. It is only an i5 processor, but it's 10th gen and is packing a GTX1650. I can double the RAM to 16GB for about 50 bucks. I can upgrade to a 512GB SSD for about 100 bucks. I can also buy an extended warranty directly through Lenovo, which could be an option. The main concern seems to be battery life. I'll need to look into that further.

    • JownehFixIT on 03/11/2020 - 23:18
      +1

      Jarrod's got a nice detailed breakdown of the non-i Ryzen version of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 here: https://youtu.be/DeQrXflRbg8
      Don't know why I seem like such an AMD fan boy 😂 just keeping your options open.

      • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 23:36
        +1

        Cheers mate. I just stumbled across that, actually…

      • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 23:53
        +1

        From what I've read and seen, the Ryzen chips seem to be more power efficient, which suits my needs anyway. So Ryzen does seem like a good option.

        • JownehFixIT on 04/11/2020 - 01:43
          +1

          Well the G14 I ordered yesterday has a 76wh battery, an AMD Ryzen 7 4800hs, 14" 1080p 120hz display, and a max-q gtx 1660ti. Battery life with this spec is apparently 8 or more hours. Definitely looking forward to that.

  • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 23:32
    +2

    I just saw that deal for the Lenovo Legion 5 from the Lenovo Education store and realised that I have access to that. That opens up some options… Like the above IdeaPad 5i for $1,043.10 or the same laptop with the Ryzen 5 4600H, 16GB ram, additional 1TB HDD, 120hz screen and a GTX1650Ti for $1,169.10. That's pretty juicy. I'm going to have to look into this battery life a bit more deeply I think.

    • anonymous58008 on 29/11/2020 - 03:15

      mate, can you please post the link for the same laptop with the Ryzen 5 4600H, 16GB ram, additional 1TB HDD, 120hz screen and a GTX1650Ti for $1,169.10, just been trying to find that model on lenovo education portal but can't find it

      • wombat81 on 29/11/2020 - 06:48

        Looks like it's long gone, sorry

  • wombat81 on 03/11/2020 - 23:36
    +1

    hmmmm, the Legion 5i has an 80Wh battery. That's nearly twice as big as the IdeaPad 5i. Surely that would do the job for $1,178.10…

    • JownehFixIT on 04/11/2020 - 01:37

      80wh for under $1200 seems incredible… You might be onto something!

      • wombat81 on 04/11/2020 - 11:04

        It's a little strange. Every review I can find (overseas to be fair) says the 5i models all have a 60Wh battery. So I'm wondering if the 80Wh battery is actually a typo…

        Hang about. Jarrod confirms that 80Wh is an option. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvLF1pp3pRw

        • JownehFixIT on 04/11/2020 - 12:01

          Nice! Well if it were confirmed 80wh (ask lenovo chat person), that'd be a serious goer.

          If you want to make your kid love you for eternity (lol jk nothing guarantees that 😁), this just went up on ozb https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/578397?utm_source=searchal…

          I had my eye on a 5Pi for a while when it was just under $2k. This is a better price again. Also got an 80wh battery!

          • wombat81 on 04/11/2020 - 12:14
            +1

            @JownehFixIT: That does look nice, but I think it's better that he deals with entry level for now. You've gotta experience the corolla before you can appreciate the ferrari.

            • JownehFixIT on 04/11/2020 - 21:42
              +1

              @wombat81: Totally fair! Looks like he'll be a happy chappy whatever you choose. You're being more diligent than my dad ever was. When I was in grade 12 I asked my dad for a PC and he basically didn't see the value of it (being a classically trained violinist and orchestral conductor) so while the siblings got whatever musical instruments they needed, a PC was too much to ask 😂.

              So my first pc was a hand me down beige box from a student of his who was going off to uni to study IT and got himself a new PC. Pretty sure I broke it within a month by showing hidden and system files then moving a bunch of the latter until Windows 98 could no longer boot 😂 He came round to fix it. Good guy! 😁👍

  • Doctor Orpheus on 13/11/2020 - 20:48

    I am also interested is what comes up in the 14 inch light gaming category. I've been searching the deals the last couple of days. The Clevo based machines have peaked my interest. The retailer in WA, Metabox, has a 14" Clevo model, they call it the Aer, which when on special is only just outside the budget. I'm hoping they have a bigger sale come black Friday. https://www.metabox.com.au/store/Aer-Range/Buy.

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