Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (14) Vs HP Pavilion Aero (13) vs Acer swfit 3

watupman on 23/08/2022 - 12:53
Last edited 23/08/2022 - 13:01

Hi Ozbargainers,

I am a laptop noob and I need your help :)

Things that I am looking for are:
- good built quality: I do not like fragile laptops
- light: I called lenovo and they said Idea slim weighs 1.3kg (which is hard to believe because it seemed much heavier than vivobook 14inches when I tried at JB. pavilion aero is < 1kg)
- good lifespan: I've been using thinkpad for years and they seem like for a long time but I don't know about HP laptops. I need your recommendation on this
- I don't need touch screen laptop or other fancy features.

Which one would you go for.

  1. Lenovo ideapd slim 5 (AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U, 8GB ram, 512 GB SSD)
    It is around 750 today after the 12% cashback (cash rewards) which seems really cheap.
    (https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-5/ide…)

  2. HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13-be0172AU R5-5600U, 512GB PCIe, 13.3 QHD, 8GB DDR4
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/705023
    Looks like they are round $900 when they are on sale. I am willing to wait several months for the sale. /
    but I am not willing to pay over $1000 for it. Do you think this laptop will go on sale again in the future?

  3. Acer swfit
    don't know much about them at all :(
    http://www.google.com.au/shopping/product/138793999973246173…

What do you think of these two laptops?

Thanks guys !

Computing

Comments

  • EightImmortals on 23/08/2022 - 13:37
    +1

    I went through this last week myself. Ended up buying 2 of these: https://www.mwave.com.au/product/intel-nuc-m15-156-fhd-lapto…

    Nice units, felt pretty solid and ran up well. 2 years warranty too.

    • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 14:30

      Thanks mate ! even the largest backpack I have does not fit 15 inch laptop :( otherwise it looks like a solid laptop man !

  • OpayuOnam on 23/08/2022 - 14:59
    +2

    None of the models you listed are "business" laptops, as such don't expect any of them to have build quality anywhere near that of your old ThinkPads.

    I suggest having a look at second hand thinkpads, you can find good deals. Sometimes you can even get laptops with some warranty left on them.

    If you let me know about your budget and location I can have a quick look and suggest you some models.

    • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 15:03

      Thanks for your reply. I won't be using my laptop much as I only really need to do clinical notes after a 1 on 1 consultation, use for browsing and youtube. Thinkpads are too heavy for me to carry it on daily bases. I currently have 15 inch thinkpad at my other work and it's too heavy to carry them around.

      • OpayuOnam on 23/08/2022 - 15:08
        +1

        ThinkPads like other laptops have come down in weight and size a lot.
        I am currently typing on a 4 year old T480s which is a 14inch touch screen and weights about 1.3KG!

        Newer models are even lighter.

        For example ThinkPad X1 Nano is a 13.3inch that weights less than 1kg (I wouldn't really recommend this model as it costs a lot and is a bit limited on ports and has a very shallow keyboard due to being very slim).

      • OpayuOnam on 23/08/2022 - 15:21
        +1

        For example have a look at this one:
        https://techsc.store/products/lenovo-thinkpad-x13-13-3-i5-10…
        (It still has more than 1 year of warranty left, is small and lightweight)

        Or if you want a pen for taking notes:
        https://techsc.store/products/lenovo-thinkpad-x13-yoga-13-3-…
        (similar weight to the one above)

        Or if you want same weight but a larger 14" screen:
        https://www.cashconverters.com.au/shop/phones-cameras-comput…
        (it is a bit older so maybe no warranty left, but cashies gives 90 day warranty and it is only $900).

        In contrary to the user below I wouldn't recommend the E series thinkpads, they are not that well built. The lowest I would go is L series.

  • viewfinder on 23/08/2022 - 15:13
    +2

    Considering that you're:
    * familiar with Lenovo ThinkPad (build, keyboard, trackpad quality)
    * open to AMD CPU (based on your Lenovo/HP/Acer options above)
    * wanting something functional and durable…

    Have you considered the Lenovo E14 AMD?
    Ryzen 5 5625u, 16GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1124 before cashback
    Ryzen 7 5825u 16GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1227 before cashback

    Albeit a tad bit heavier and a little pricier even after cashback, but may be worth it in the long run.

    • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 18:42

      Do you think its worthwhile waiting for the better deal on thinkpads or other quality laptops? I can use my gf's laptop until I get a good deal but I'm just worried that I won't get huge discounts on ideapad slim 5 again

      • viewfinder on 23/08/2022 - 20:53

        Even though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (14) might have a good discount, the 8GB RAM may not be sufficient/ideal in the long run. PS - I believe the RAM is soldered/non-upgradeable, which would make it even worse.

        Although IdeaPad is also made from Lenovo, it is quite a different build quality than the ThinkPad series. To literally get a feel of the IdeaPad devices, you can perhaps visit a Officeworks or JB HiFi to see what they have on display.

        If you do not urgently need a new laptop, I would wait and see.

        Perhaps even consider refurbished versions of Lenovo ThinkPad series (e.g. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/716009), or Dell Latitude series (e.g. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/720559 - ps - this seller has listings on both Amazon and EBay).

  • Axelstrife on 23/08/2022 - 16:11
    +1

    1.38kg not 1.3kg
    I have the same laptop but 4500u and on my scale it's 1.4kg

    • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 17:18

      Wait…. ideapad slim 5 is 1.4kg? That's actually lighter than I thought
      https://www.google.com/amp/s/gadgets360.com/lenovo-ideapad-s…
      Wonder this website said 1.66kg

      • Axelstrife on 23/08/2022 - 17:38

        That's the 15" model, The one i have and the one you posted is 14"

        • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 17:39

          Got ya! With 1.4kg, don't you think its a reaper deal being around 750 dollars for ideapad?

          • Axelstrife on 23/08/2022 - 17:55

            @watupman: Yeah it's a good deal, $50 cheaper than what i paid a year ago just with updated specs and a better IPS screen.
            Though i do think 8gb ram that is not upgradeable in 2022 is something to avoid imo, 20 tabs on edge and spotify and it's 75-80% ram usageto give you an idea.

            • watupman on 23/08/2022 - 18:43

              @Axelstrife: Thanks so much man! Do you recommend any other laptops around this price and spec, brother?

              • Axelstrife on 23/08/2022 - 19:07

                @watupman: https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-3/ideapad-3-gen-6-(14-inch-amd)/len101i0018

                The right one which has the 5700u and IPS screen, it has 4gb soldered ram and 8gb SO-DIMM which means the 8gb can be upgraded to a 16GB stick.
                Similar weight at 1.41kg

  • Sinnerator on 24/08/2022 - 09:45

    I bought a Acer Swift 1 14" new 6 months ago (2020 model) on clearance.
    Average but sort of 'pretty' build quality (but better than aspire), keyboard misses strokes and gets infuriating, track pad sometimes goes nuts and selects things I didn't intend. Screen not terrible. It's thin and light weight, very portable.
    A bad thing is the SD card slot is only half depth, so if you for any reason (my ssd is only 128gb) you wanted to keep an sd card in as semi-permanent storage expansion then about 55% of the card will be hanging out the side.
    It was only ~$145, so for the price it's effing awesome.
    Not sure if Swift 3 is better in build quality than Swift 1 or if it's just specs.

    Make sure you test them in person, preferably at a harvey norman, just don't buy it from hn.

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