Laptop for University and General Use? (No Intensive or High Battery Draining Software) Budget $1300

NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 15:46
Last edited 24/12/2023 - 17:27 by 1 other user

My old laptop currently has a horrible battery unable to last the amount of time needed and is very slow and struggles in slightly more intensive software.

With the various recent posts on laptops mostly Asus and Acer, they are similar with each other, making it confusing which one to pick that is decent value. Minimum specs needed are 16gb RAM, 512gb storage, and being able to access slightly intensive software and some games. I think the minimum battery should be around 10 hours though it would be preferred to be 12 hours or more.

I don't really know much about laptop processors and GPU etc so I can't really comment on that. If there is anything I am missing, let me know. I appreciate all help and advice and deeply thank you for it.

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 16:37

    New or pre-owned? Mac OS or Windows?

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 16:44
      +2

      Sorry for that! I'd rather Windows. I am fine with either new or pre-owned.

      • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 16:54

        Have you started Uni yet? On campus the most popular notebook is MacBook, likely due to portability and battery endurance.

        • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 16:56
          +1

          Haven't started university yet but will be doing so next year. While I have seen the great portability and battery endurance of Macbooks from friends, I am not a fan of the OS and prefer using Windows as it is what I am used to.

          • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 16:58
            -5

            @NotReallyaMoneySaver: You should give it some consideration - a growth mindset will serve you well in undergraduate studies.

            • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 17:14
              +1

              @sumyungguy: I've checked out Macbooks before at the Apple Store, but unfortunately I could not get used to it.

            • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 17:39
              +4

              @sumyungguy: lol, great troll

              • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 17:49
                -1

                @CptnObvious: Coaching, not trolling…

                • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:15
                  +7

                  @sumyungguy: You are forcing people into your narrow view of thought. What you are doing is not coaching but preaching. Coaching is NOT about telling someone what to do, but rather help the coachee to discover their own path for themselves.

                  • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 18:19
                    -2

                    @CptnObvious: Simply challenging OP's worldview. But sure, not a full GROW model effort on my part.

                      • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 18:23
                        -1

                        @CptnObvious: Yes, because OP will show up at Uni on day one and notice that everyone else has a MacBook Air. Just wanted them to be awake to that reality. I encourage everyone to be proficient with both of the major operating systems. But I wholly accept OP prefers Windows.

                        • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:28
                          +2

                          @sumyungguy: So? Be different and dare to stand out for the better. That's the true growth mindset.
                          And seriously, of all the areas to try to conform in uni, who gives a rats ass about macs or pcs.

                          You apply intelligence in your studies and do so diligently, you will get the marks. You up your A game you will get the girls. Out of everything why would anyone care about whether you have a mac or pc?

                          You must be trolling bruh… I'm entertained :)

                          • nuker on 25/12/2023 - 18:01
                            -1

                            @CptnObvious:

                            So? Be different and dare to stand out for the better.

                            You mean Macs, right? Im a sw engineer and can say that MacOS is safer, better built internally and nicer to use, well, except gaming.

                            • CptnObvious on 25/12/2023 - 18:12

                              @nuker: Mac Lovers suck balls.

                            • Namesareapain on 26/12/2023 - 15:08

                              @nuker: macOS's kernel, XNU is based off the hated joke that is mach (and a few years ago was found to have a massive kernel level security flaw because of it), So no, I would not say it is better.

                              • nuker on 26/12/2023 - 21:22

                                @Namesareapain: Pure BS. All ransomware cases were Windows, none were Macs.

                        • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 18:33

                          @sumyungguy: As much as I would like to try out a Macbook, it is a huge and expensive learning curve that might not work well. If I hate the device, I am stuck with it for the rest of time. I would like to try out one for a month or so to get used to it and see after then if I want it, but unless that is an option, getting a MacBook is risky.

                          Sumyungguy isn't wrong with everyone having a Macbook. They have the largest ownership of laptops at 31%, followed by HP at 24%. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1187958/laptop-ownership-…

                          • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:34
                            +1

                            @NotReallyaMoneySaver: 31% is not everyone.

                            • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 18:37

                              @CptnObvious: While 31% isn't everyone, it is still a large portion of people having one brand of laptops.

                              • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:41

                                @NotReallyaMoneySaver: It's hardly a third. In the context of this discussion a third does not enforce the argument made by SYG.

                                Lot of tertiary education students do not use macs. This thread is making it out to be this exclusive club that everyone must be a part of, or else OP will fail to settle into his/her 1st year uni life.

                              • rogerm22 on 25/12/2023 - 14:02

                                @NotReallyaMoneySaver: Not really, as it's Windows vs Mac thing, rather than a brand thing. So you need to put all brands of Windows laptops together, rather than looking at individual brands.

                          • BoltThrower on 25/12/2023 - 01:23
                            +1

                            @NotReallyaMoneySaver: We're talking about Operating systems though. It's more a case of 69% (nice) of people don't use Macs.

                          • nuker on 26/12/2023 - 21:48

                            @NotReallyaMoneySaver:

                            As much as I would like to try out a Macbook, it is a huge and expensive learning curve that might not work well.

                            It will work out well, trust me. Plus Apple has generous “changed my mind” return policy.
                            Give it a week.

                • Ruddaga on 24/12/2023 - 19:50
                  +2

                  @sumyungguy: Except most work places and their IT guys only use Windows devices. And when you go to them with a Macbook they basically tell you to fix it yourself.

                  But very specific weird trolling.

            • rumblytangara on 24/12/2023 - 18:32

              @sumyungguy:

              You should give it some consideration - a growth mindset will serve you well in undergraduate studies.

              It's a real win-win to think outside the box and change the paradigm in order to find synergies like that.

            • Ade99 on 25/12/2023 - 08:09

              @sumyungguy: As Apples don't really play well with MS Office suite it would be character building to go down the IOS route…..

  • avoidfullprice on 24/12/2023 - 16:58

    No intensive or high battery draining software

    Anti virus software will do that hahaha!

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 17:08

      Oh definitely. Looked at some Dell Laptops and they were giving McAffee for free. Definitely battery draining and a antivirus software if you can call it one.

  • Ema000 on 24/12/2023 - 17:51

    OP, this one looks interesting - https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/msi-prestige-14evo-14-fhd…

  • StonedWizard on 24/12/2023 - 18:24

    Apart from a MacBook Air or Surface 5. I don’t think you’ll be able to get 8+ hours battery life for the price range you’re looking at.

    Depending on the games you play. A tablet with a keyboard is another option (if the ergonomics suit you).

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 18:40

      The Surface 5 doesn't look half bad so far. I'm still doing some research into it but it seems decent. Thanks for the suggestion.

      • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 18:49

        Consider also anything from the HP line. My workplace switched our desktops and notebooks to HP as our IT team found Surface Laptops to be troublesome. But this may have improved over time?

        • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 20:32

          When did you switch from Surface Laptops to HP ones. Which model of Surface and HP laptops did you use?

  • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:38
    +1

    If you want 12 hr battery life macbook is the only way to go. You can find some good second hand macbook air M1 16GB off ebay for ~$1k. You would want 16GB, no matter what others say you can get by with 8GB.

    It will likely get cheaper once the M3 Macbook Air hits in Jan/Feb.

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 18:45

      Checked Ebay for Macbooks and a lot of them are people who are selling their Macbook. people selling from outside of Australia or sellers who look shady.

      • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:47

        Wait post xmas and try to purchase from highly rated shops on ebay (including refurbish). I brought a macbook air m1 16G in nov for $920, with some warranty left.
        And don't buy from outside of Australia.

      • CptnObvious on 24/12/2023 - 18:50
        +1

        Or you can try Surface Laptop 5 (512/16G with touchscreen and decent battery life).
        https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/store/configure/Surface-Lapt…

        Choose Sage metal for $1497, then talk with sales agent via live chat for 10% student discount (you will have to verify student email address). If you have microsoft AMEX offer it's another $100 off, bringing it down to sub $1300 for new surface laptop.

    • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 19:00

      … but OP prefers Windows.

      • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 19:12

        While I do prefer Windows, I would be down to try Macbook if there was a way I could just rent or borrow one just to get properly used to it before purchasing. If I do get a windows device, what would you recommend

        • sumyungguy on 24/12/2023 - 21:56

          I suggest looking at some display model notebooks (e.g. JB Hi-Fi) to see if you can live with the lower resolution 1920x1200 displays common in the $1,300 class. MacBook displays are 2560x1600. ASUS Zenbook EVO 14" OLED is close to your budget @ $1,449

        • jace88 on 24/12/2023 - 22:17
          +1

          Apple has a pretty generous/relaxed returns policy if you don't like it… default is 2 weeks but during Christmas they give even longer. Refunds with no questions asked.

    • Namesareapain on 25/12/2023 - 08:04

      No, newer AMD and Intel based laptops have long battery life, in the range of 12 hours or greater.
      The new Intel Meteor Lake processors are even better and push battery life to over 20 hours while web browsing.

  • Enterz on 24/12/2023 - 20:12
    +1

    Get one of these. About 970grams and last 14 hours. https://www.centrecom.com.au/msi-prestige-13evo-a13m-133-fhd…

    • Enterz on 24/12/2023 - 20:16

      I have one for travelling and tested the battery life myself with video rundown test. Fits your $1300 budget perfectly

      • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 20:57

        Was there any issues running any moderate applications or softwares or video games?

        • Enterz on 24/12/2023 - 21:25

          I havent had any issues, but I'm not a gamer. Does everything I need it to do without breaking a sweat.

        • CrispyChrispy on 24/12/2023 - 21:26

          Won't have the best gaming experience with it given it has no dGPU. What games/heavy applications do you want to run on it anyway?

    • kusala on 25/12/2023 - 15:04

      Thank you for posting this. I will be looking for a lightweight travel laptop in a few months and the MSI Prestige looks to be a good option 👌

      • Enterz on 25/12/2023 - 20:08
        +1

        Great for travel especially when pared with 65w travel adaptor so you can power it via usb c and all your other gear too.

  • jace88 on 24/12/2023 - 22:17
    +1

    What degree are you doing at uni? And are there any special applications/plugins/etc that you need for it? I'd try to suss this out more if you haven't already to work out whether you'll be disadvantaged/regretful if you go one way over the other.

    Whilst I'm firmly in the Mac crowd when it comes to their Apple Silicon based laptops with great performance and battery, I do appreciate that there will be plenty of cases where a Windows laptop might suit your needs better…

  • utsc on 24/12/2023 - 23:06

    LG UltraPC 16’’ with IPS Display and Ryzen™ 5 7530U
    https://www.lg.com/au/laptops/lg-16u70r-g.aa53a

    1.6Kg is a decent weight for a 16"

    I would wait for an boxing week or back to school offer
    https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lg-ultra-pc-16-wuxga-lapt…?

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 24/12/2023 - 23:12

      Hey, thank you for the recommendation and offer! While the laptop does seem nice, it unfortunately does not not have enough storage or battery life.

      • utsc on 24/12/2023 - 23:33

        Could you refer me to the battery life? I could not find the battery life for the 2023 model.

        This is the review for the 2022 model and it says the battery life is very good
        https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-Ultra-PC-16-2022-AMD-review…

        I would buy and install a 1TB SSD for $100 or less considering that most laptops only come with 512GB

        LG UltraPC 16 data sheet
        https://www.lg.com/us/business/download/resources/CT40000311/LG_SPEC-SHEET_UltraPC%2016-inch_092362_LR[20231013_025224].pdf

        I have the LG gram Intel® 13th Gen Core® i7 Evo version and the battery life is great.
        https://www.lg.com/ca_en/laptops/gram/17zb90r-k-aa75a9/

  • chickentaste on 24/12/2023 - 23:58
    +1

    First time round at uni I spent a lot of money on a high-end low-weight laptop. This time I went I got a refurbished ex-lease business laptop (from Bneacttrader) for a third of the price and have zero regrets.

    These days the chances are that you'll be using a uni account with nearly everything available online as a cloud service anyway. A full windows package will probably be provided as part of your enrolment - this is worth using because the IT support at unis is geared around this environment.

    Unless you're doing something with very specific software demands just get a cheap windows box and save your money.

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 25/12/2023 - 00:20

      Hi, thank you for your response! I will be using softwares such as photoshop, illustrator, Adobe Animate and Premier Pro and a couple of other softwares. I was wondering how you managed to find ex-lease business laptop from Bneactraders?

  • cheesecactus on 25/12/2023 - 00:36
    +1

    https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpade/thinkpad-e14-gen-5-(14-inch-amd)/len101t0068

    $875 for 16GB Ram and 512gb SSD.

    Could go also up to the Ryzen 7 for a total of $947.

    Battery life is pretty solid, plenty powerful for the apps you mentioned, although gaming is only possible on low: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-E14-G5-AMD-rev…

  • utsc on 25/12/2023 - 01:51

    HP Zbook Firefly 14A G10 $1498 + Delivery 14" WUXGA Touchscreen, Ryzen 7 Pro 7840HS, 16GB, 512GB, Win 11 Pro @ JW Computers
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/822417

  • shaybisc on 25/12/2023 - 08:40
    -1

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/technology/personaltech/a…

    Interesting article.

  • Inertia-g on 25/12/2023 - 08:50
    -1

    If you are set on a windows laptop, I feel the 14” screen is the sweet spot between compact but usable. I’ve had a Lenovo for a few years (model before the E14 I think), and it has been perfectly adequate. Mine was around $1500 I think, but it also has a discrete graphics card.

    HOWEVER, I just bought my son the MacBook Air M2, and I’ve got to say, it is had to beat it for size, weight, battery life. As much as I am not a Mac person, it is hard to go past - especially with the a bit of a discount from office works, and gift cards at 15% off. By all account they have excellent longevity too.

    • NotReallyaMoneySaver on 25/12/2023 - 09:02

      Many people have mentioned buying the MacBook and it definitely looks decent. It is a bit out of my price range but I might go check it out some more and do some research.

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