New laptop computer pls help!

[NelliPasteli]

Haii fellow camgirls/camboys & computer enthusiasts! This is gonna be a veeery long post (sorry about that!!) and I'm hoping I put it in the right section

I need to get a new laptop computer, my current one is shutting down on me/the CPU is constantly overheated & it's way to old to handle live streaming through OBS.

I'm not the best when it comes to computers but I've been searching around for a while now after laptop computers that fits for my purpose, and a few things I've understood is very important are as follows:
- The RAM must be 8 GB or more
- The Hard drive must be 1TB or more
- Size at least 15" or bigger
- The Processor must be Intel Core i7
- And finally the USB 3.0 (or even 3.1??)

I've been looking at three different brands such as Dell, HP & Lenovo.

For Dell I've found that these Inspiron series might fit in:
- 17 5000 17.3"
- 17 7000 2-i-1 17.3"
- 15 7000 15.6"
- 15 5000 15.6"
The prices vary around $850 up to $1120. All have Intel Core i7 processor.

For HP I've found these series who might also fit in:
- Gaming Pavilion 15-cx0012no 15.6"
- Pavilion Power 15-cb008no 15.6"
The prices vary around $1020 up to $1280. All have Intel Core i7 processor.

And for the Lenovo these series might fit in as well:
- Ideapad 720s 15"
- V330-15IKB 15"
The prices on these vary around $883 up to $1276. All have Intel Core i7 processor.

I couldn't post all the links to the laptops because then my post would be even longer than this *embarrassed for posting too much info all at once*.

If you read all this I just wanna say THANK you for reading!! Much love Sooo, is there anyone who has a recommendation about these laptops or maybe you have a recommendation about some other brands/series? Please let me know, all info is appreciated!
My budget is between $798-$1276.

Thanks again for reading and take care!

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

I noticed that you are a fellow Swede and the most bang for the buck that I could find in the Swedish stores that sells computers is this one from MSI. You could probably find one that is cheaper on American Amazon, but you are going to get screwed on the shipping and you will have to pay taxes because you are importing from outside the EU. Also if you are camming as a business and have set up a company you can subtract the moms from the price, you can read more about that here.

 

[NelliPasteli]

I noticed that you are a fellow Swede and the most bang for the buck that I could find in the Swedish stores that sells computers is this one from MSI. You could probably find one that is cheaper on American Amazon, but you are going to get screwed on the shipping and you will have to pay taxes because you are importing from outside the EU. Also if you are camming as a business and have set up a company you can subtract the moms from the price, you can read more about that here.

Thanks for the reply!! Never even heard of MSI and I'm kinda scared to use a brand I've never been in contact with, but I'll definitely check the computer out and add it to my "possible to buy" list! Thanks!

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

Thanks for the reply!! Never even heard of MSI and I'm kinda scared to use a brand I've never been in contact with, but I'll definitely check the computer out and add it to my "possible to buy" list! Thanks!

MSI is one of the biggest brands when it comes to gaming computers and PC parts, they make graphics cards, motherboards, monitors, laptops, desktops, peripherals such as mice, keyboards and headsets. All the major Swedish computer retailers sells stuff from MSI so it is not some small unknown brand.

 

[NelliPasteli]

MSI is one of the biggest brands when it comes to gaming computers and PC parts, they make graphics cards, motherboards, monitors, laptops, desktops, peripherals such as mice, keyboards and headsets. All the major Swedish computer retailers sells stuff from MSI so it is not some small unknown brand.

Then I guess it's a trusted brand? I'll ask a computer enthusiastic friend as well about the MSI, like I said I don't know much about computers at all (Google is my friend lol).

 

[AmberCutie]

MSI is one of the biggest brands when it comes to gaming computers and PC parts, they make graphics cards, motherboards, monitors, laptops, desktops, peripherals such as mice, keyboards and headsets. All the major Swedish computer retailers sells stuff from MSI so it is not some small unknown brand.

I loved my MSI Ghost but it seemed to have network card issues, which made camming difficult sometimes.

I've been looking at three different brands such as Dell, HP & Lenovo.

Any HP laptop I've ever owned ended up with loose ports, to the point where my charging cable no longer stayed in enough to charge the damned things. I avoid them now.

I've now got a Dell XPS 15 inch with touchscreen, which I absolutely love. I'd link it but it seems Dell's website is taking crazypills.

Edit: Dell got its shit together lol - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/sho...ps-15/spd/xps-15-9570-laptop/smx15w10p1c1653p

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Then I guess it's a trusted brand? I'll ask a computer enthusiastic friend as well about the MSI, like I said I don't know much about computers at all (Google is my friend lol).

I've been using MSI as mainboards for a long time, without issues. Highly recommended. Another that I have had great luck with is ASUS.


Just an FYI, if you are having cooling issues with your currently laptop, buy a can of compressed air and blow into the fan and cooling ports. It is most likely filled with dust, and prevents proper airflow. It wont take care of all of your issues. But, it is something worth doing at least once a year.

 

[DickMagnificent]

I'll throw my two cents in!

As far as overall brands go;
-I can vouch for the people above saying MSI is pretty good. Probably what I'd personally go with!
-HP quality isn't bad and has gotten much better in the past few years, but if you ever need to use their customer support it's hell getting them to help you with anything warranty related.
-Lenovo is great from my experience, I've owned two with one being a budget (<$300) and the other being a fairly high end(>$3500). They both hold up well, but the budget one does have wifi adapter problems occasionally that go away when you reset it.
-Dell is the only that I've had problems with that I couldn't fix, but this was around 10 years ago and I think they've gotten much better.

So for me, it's msi>lenovo,asus>hp>dell, but none are a terrible choice. Just stay away from Acer and Toshiba.

I'd highly recommend this computer from the specs for the price though:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GP63-Leopard-041-Performance-i7-8750H/dp/B07C94K74F/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1532969953&sr=1-17&keywords=msi&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin:2289792011,p_36:-130000

It gives you a 6 core i7-8750 which is about 25-30% faster than a i7-7700hq according to userbenchmark,
16gb ddr4 ram,
gtx 1050ti,
a 128gb m.2 sata and a 1tb mechanical hdd,
it's also got usb 3.1, type c, and is only 4.5 lbs.
This thing will be fairly decent at higher end video editing as well and it honestly great for the price imo. (If you can squeeze the extra $20 out since it's $1299)

EDIT: Also, if you need me to explain any of this a little more in detail just let me know! I read it and realised I may have went a tad too technical toward the end lol

 

[SaffronBurke]

Just stay away from Acer and Toshiba.

It's interesting to see this, because my Toshiba Satellite has held on since 2013, through several drops and countless drink spills. It gets a little warm, but if I keep it on a cooling pad with a desk fan blowing over the top, it's fine.

 

[NelliPasteli]

I loved my MSI Ghost but it seemed to have network card issues, which made camming difficult sometimes.


Any HP laptop I've ever owned ended up with loose ports, to the point where my charging cable no longer stayed in enough to charge the damned things. I avoid them now.

I've now got a Dell XPS 15 inch with touchscreen, which I absolutely love. I'd link it but it seems Dell's website is taking crazypills.

Edit: Dell got its shit together lol - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/sho...ps-15/spd/xps-15-9570-laptop/smx15w10p1c1653p

Thank you so much for the reply!!
The XPS 15 might be a bit too pricy & over my budget unfortunately... But I feel like it I might end up with a laptop from Dell... Or MSI as someone else gave me the advice about!

 

[NelliPasteli]

I'll throw my two cents in!

As far as overall brands go;
-I can vouch for the people above saying MSI is pretty good. Probably what I'd personally go with!
-HP quality isn't bad and has gotten much better in the past few years, but if you ever need to use their customer support it's hell getting them to help you with anything warranty related.
-Lenovo is great from my experience, I've owned two with one being a budget (<$300) and the other being a fairly high end(>$3500). They both hold up well, but the budget one does have wifi adapter problems occasionally that go away when you reset it.
-Dell is the only that I've had problems with that I couldn't fix, but this was around 10 years ago and I think they've gotten much better.

So for me, it's msi>lenovo,asus>hp>dell, but none are a terrible choice. Just stay away from Acer and Toshiba.

I'd highly recommend this computer from the specs for the price though:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GP63-Leopard-041-Performance-i7-8750H/dp/B07C94K74F/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1532969953&sr=1-17&keywords=msi&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin:2289792011,p_36:-130000

It gives you a 6 core i7-8750 which is about 25-30% faster than a i7-7700hq according to userbenchmark,
16gb ddr4 ram,
gtx 1050ti,
a 128gb m.2 sata and a 1tb mechanical hdd,
it's also got usb 3.1, type c, and is only 4.5 lbs.
This thing will be fairly decent at higher end video editing as well and it honestly great for the price imo. (If you can squeeze the extra $20 out since it's $1299)

EDIT: Also, if you need me to explain any of this a little more in detail just let me know! I read it and realised I may have went a tad too technical toward the end lol

Thank you so much for the reply! Really appreciate your input!

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

I loved my MSI Ghost but it seemed to have network card issues, which made camming difficult sometimes.


Any HP laptop I've ever owned ended up with loose ports, to the point where my charging cable no longer stayed in enough to charge the damned things. I avoid them now.

I've now got a Dell XPS 15 inch with touchscreen, which I absolutely love. I'd link it but it seems Dell's website is taking crazypills.

Edit: Dell got its shit together lol - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/sho...ps-15/spd/xps-15-9570-laptop/smx15w10p1c1653p

That is a really good laptop, the problem is that it costs about $2170 here in Sweden, which is well above her price point.

I'll throw my two cents in!

As far as overall brands go;
-I can vouch for the people above saying MSI is pretty good. Probably what I'd personally go with!
-HP quality isn't bad and have gotten much better in the past few years, but if you ever need to use their customer support it's hell getting them to help you with anything warranty related.
-Lenovo is great from my experience, I've owned two with one being a budget (<$300) and the other being a fairly high end(>$3500). They both hold up well, but the budget one does have wifi adapter problems occasionally that go away when you reset it.
-Dell is the only that I've had problems with that I couldn't fix, but this was around 10 years ago and I think they've gotten much better.

So for me, it's msi>lenovo,asus>hp>dell, but none are a terrible choice. Just stay away from Acer and Toshiba.

I'd highly recommend this computer from the specs for the price though:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GP63-Leopard-041-Performance-i7-8750H/dp/B07C94K74F/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1532969953&sr=1-17&keywords=msi&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin:2289792011,p_36:-130000

It gives you a 6 core i7-8750 which is about 25-30% faster than a i7-7700hq according to userbenchmark,
16gb ddr4 ram,
gtx 1050ti,
a 128gb m.2 sata and a 1tb mechanical hdd,
it's also got usb 3.1, type c, and is only 4.5 lbs.
This thing will be fairly decent at higher end video editing as well and it honestly great for the price imo. (If you can squeeze the extra $20 out since it's $1299)

It is a good price for that computer in the US, but it is not shipped to Sweden and that model isn't sold here. The closest one in specs to it lacks a hdd and costs $1599.

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

I set up a filter on Prisjakt to see what could be found that was good in that price range, these are the options it came up with.

 

[DickMagnificent]

It's interesting to see this, because my Toshiba Satellite has held on since 2013, through several drops and countless drink spills. It gets a little warm, but if I keep it on a cooling pad with a desk fan blowing over the top, it's fine.

This is 100% my personal experience (biases lol), but Toshiba and Acer are one of those that will either last for a super long time or you have problems with immediately. Nothing against those brands at all, I just used to manage a computer/tech store (that was blue with a big yellow tag if you catch my drift), here in the US while I was in college, and on those two brands we had around a 40% return or lemon rate on which I thought was crazy; so I always tried to steer people away from them. This was back when Win10 first came out though so they've probably fixed all the issues since then! It's awesome to hear you've had a good experience with Toshiba though!

It is a good price for that computer in the US, but it is not shipped to Sweden and that model isn't sold here. The closest one in specs to it lacks a hdd and costs $1599.

Aww man, I totally missed that it was going to Sweden. Customs and international shipping will definitely add around $150 to that price, sadly :/

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

Aww man, I totally missed that it was going to Sweden. Customs and international shipping will definitely add around $150 to that price, sadly :/

I wish it was only $150 that was getting added. The VAT that gets added is 25% so importing stuff from the US gets expensive over here.

 

[DickMagnificent]

I wish it was only $150 that was getting added. The VAT that gets added is 25% so importing stuff from the US gets expensive over here.

Man, I had no idea it was quite that much! My only international shipping experience is between the US and UAE and theirs is only 5%. I figured it couldn't be much more than that, but the more I'm doing research, UAE has a really low VAT haha. You learn something new every day!

 

[NelliPasteli]

I set up a filter on Prisjakt to see what could be found that was good in that price range, these are the options it came up with.

Thanks! I've done it already but I'll look at Prisjakt again. Having a very hard time over here deciding on what laptop to get.

 

[AmberCutie]

That is a really good laptop, the problem is that it costs about $2170 here in Sweden, which is well above her price point.

I missed the location pricing info in her post, woops. Just a note, though, this laptop is also available without the touchscreen which may be cheaper, but sounds like purchasing it outside of the US might be problematic.

If it wasn't for pesky customs/import fees I'd suggest a US resident buy and ship it to her.

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

I missed the location pricing info in her post, woops. Just a note, though, this laptop is also available without the touchscreen which may be cheaper, but sounds like purchasing it outside of the US might be problematic.

If it wasn't for pesky customs/import fees I'd suggest a US resident buy and ship it to her.

It is a bit cheaper, but it still costs $1919. I blame these prices on Obama, it was much cheaper importing stuff when the American economy was in the toilet and the US Dollar was valued less.

 

[SaffronBurke]

This was back when Win10 first came out though so they've probably fixed all the issues since then! It's awesome to hear you've had a good experience with Toshiba though!

That could be part of it, I bought it at that point when most of the Win8 wrinkles were ironed out, and refused to upgrade to 10.

 

[OldHippy]

I have had luck with the Dell factory seconds shop (in Australia)... But here is the link to the US store.

https://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/22/campaigns/outlet

I usually go for the business range - Latitude, they are more expensive, but the quality is much better...

 

[NelliPasteli]

I have such a hard time deciding on what laptop to get, there's soooo many out there. I do feel I'm gonna go for either Lenovo or MSI (with the specified criterias as I mentioned). Just don't know what model/series to go for....

 

[Deleted member 37064]

I have such a hard time deciding on what laptop to get, there's soooo many out there. I do feel I'm gonna go for either Lenovo or MSI (with the specified criterias as I mentioned). Just don't know what model/series to go for....

If the specs are the same, and both get solid reviews (online and personal references), sometimes it just comes down to picking which one appeals to you or has the better price.

I would also add that it might be worthwhile to purchase an extended warranty. I don't do it for desktops, as I usually build those. But, the sheer nature of laptops being moved around frequently adds risk that it may drop.

 

[NelliPasteli]

If the specs are the same, and both get solid reviews (online and personal references), sometimes it just comes down to picking which one appeals to you or has the better price.

I would also add that it might be worthwhile to purchase an extended warranty. I don't do it for desktops, as I usually build those. But, the sheer nature of laptops being moved around frequently adds risk that it may drop.

What does extended warranty mean?

 

[DickMagnificent]

9 times out of 10, whenever you buy something it comes with a limited warranty from the manufacturer (think the little paper pamphlets that are folded up whenever you get headphones that have a ton of legal stuff on them in different languages). Basically, it says that if whatever you just bought it broken or faulty, they'll replace or fix it for you. It usually lasts a year and only covers things they can prove was their fault in manufacturing it, not your fault from using it. (one year limited warranty)

And extended warranty is something you purchase to either override or make the warranty from above to be more inclusive. So like it will cover you dropping, breaking or spilling something on it if the extended warranty you purchase has accidental handling coverage. They're usually broken down into yearly plans and they get less expensive per year the further out you buy.
(example: 1 year - $50, 2 years - $90, 3 years - $125)
You'll also hear it referred to as buying insurance on a particular item.

I get them on my cameras/lenses because I take them crazy places and don't have to worry about slipping and having it cost me $2,000 lol. You just have to see if the plans cost is justifiable or not and what specifically it all covers. (Like I won't buy a plan that's over 25% of the cost of the item and it absolutely has to have accidental coverage)

Hopefully this helps explain a little bit and I didn't go too overly in depth

 

[NelliPasteli]

9 times out of 10, whenever you buy something it comes with a limited warranty from the manufacturer (think the little paper pamphlets that are folded up whenever you get headphones that have a ton of legal stuff on them in different languages). Basically, it says that if whatever you just bought it broken or faulty, they'll replace or fix it for you. It usually lasts a year and only covers things they can prove was their fault in manufacturing it, not your fault from using it. (one year limited warranty)

And extended warranty is something you purchase to either override or make the warranty from above to be more inclusive. So like it will cover you dropping, breaking or spilling something on it if the extended warranty you purchase has accidental handling coverage. They're usually broken down into yearly plans and they get less expensive per year the further out you buy.
(example: 1 year - $50, 2 years - $90, 3 years - $125)
You'll also hear it referred to as buying insurance on a particular item.

I get them on my cameras/lenses because I take them crazy places and don't have to worry about slipping and having it cost me $2,000 lol. You just have to see if the plans cost is justifiable or not and what specifically it all covers. (Like I won't buy a plan that's over 25% of the cost of the item and it absolutely has to have accidental coverage)

Hopefully this helps explain a little bit and I didn't go too overly in depth

Thanks a lot for the explanation

 

[NelliPasteli]

I thought I should post a little update. After a couple of days crawling and digging around in this huuuge laptop jungle I THINK I've found the one I'll go for:

- Lenovo Ideapad 330 15.6".
- Some specs: Up to 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8750H Processor (2.20GHz, up to 4.10GHz with Turbo Boost, 9MB Cache). Operating system: Windows 10.

I do hope it's gonna be a good laptop

 

[Deleted member 37064]

I thought I should post a little update. After a couple of days crawling and digging around in this huuuge laptop jungle I THINK I've found the one I'll go for:

- Lenovo Ideapad 330 15.6".
- Some specs: Up to 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8750H Processor (2.20GHz, up to 4.10GHz with Turbo Boost, 9MB Cache). Operating system: Windows 10.

I do hope it's gonna be a good laptop

I think it should be good for you. The only thing I'll comment on is if you don't order it with maximum memory (RAM) from the factory, max it out with memory after you buy it. It's relatively easy to do, and sometimes might save a little with aftermarket memory such as Kingston, Corsair or Mushkin.

 

[NelliPasteli]

I think it should be good for you. The only thing I'll comment on is if you don't order it with maximum memory (RAM) from the factory, max it out with memory after you buy it. It's relatively easy to do, and sometimes might save a little with aftermarket memory such as Kingston, Corsair or Mushkin.

Max out the ram? Sorry, I don't know how to do that at all. *n00b*

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Max out the ram? Sorry, I don't know how to do that at all. *n00b*

No worries. Basically, what I was saying is that if your laptop comes with 4GB of RAM, it'd be beneficial to have the max it can handle installed. If I'm reading it correctly, the Ideapad you're looking can support up to the following:

Memory

• Up to 16 GB DDR4 2400 MHz
• Up to 8 GB DDR4 2133 MHz

The unknown is how much memory (RAM) your system comes with by default. You can buy replacement modules, or additional memory modules (called DIMMs), to improve performance. Being you plan to stream from this, the more memory you can have in your system, they better. Of the two options I listed, I would go with the 16GB. It could cost you about $150-200 USD to increase the memory to that level. But, if you can't afford it right away, you can at least use what you have until you can afford it. But, you won't have as good of performance and may need to just do streaming and not much else.