Question Need help choosing a new laptop. Would you recommend yours?

[mgistr]

Trying to decide on a new laptop and I'll appreciate recommendations from actual users. Budget is under $2k.

I want a brand new Windows PC with great speakers, excellent display (15" to 16" with minimum 1080 resolution), 16GB RAM (or more), 500GB SDD (or more). Would be nice if it has a touchscreen but that's not a dealbreaker.

One thing that IS a dealbreaker is the fan noise. I need something that's absolutely silent most of the time except on the extremely rare occasion when I'm running a heavy task.

I'll mostly use the laptop for Browsing, Excel, Word Processing, and content consumption. There might be the occasional video editing but I already have another [much noisier] laptop for that. If I can get away with an internal GPU, I'll take it.

Games I need to play? Solitaire perhaps. And Sudoku. Or Monopoly, if I can find a good game.

It doesn't need to be thin, light or portable, and a 3-hour battery life would do just fine. It's going to be plugged in most of the time and I'd only unplug to connect with my TV for the occasional movie.

Speaking of TVs, I'll definitely need an HDMI port. USB-A and USB-C ports would also be nice.

Some models I'm looking at already include:

• Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro 16
• Lenovo ThinkPad P15s
• HP ZBook Firefly G8
• Dell Latitude 5521

If you own any one of these, please let me know what you love or hate about it. Again, I'm concerned about noise.

Only used Lenovo at work but they seem quite reliable. Plus the keyboards are lit. Speaking of keyboards, I need one that's backlit with a numpad. The numpad is a dealbreaker.

I'm open to most PC brands but I get the feeling (from speaking with friends who've used them) that HP laptops are not quite reliable. Any long-term HP user that's happy with their purchase should please correct this notion.

 

[Tech Junky]

I use Clevo / Sager for the price / performance. I'm currently eyeing up barebones setups for ADL/12700H with 16GB and shooting for RTX3600 but, most of the newer models seem to be 3050 which is a wash with my current GTX1650.

A barebones setup minimum is coming in at $1099 with a 3050

https://barebone.rjtech.com/clevo-barebone-laptop-series/?features_hash=314-1546

Pre-configured though are only slightly higher or you can add the drive/RAM and other items under the BB option as well but, it's cheaper to add them yourself.

https://barebone.rjtech.com/clevo-complete-laptop-series/?features_hash=314-1546_315-1225-1205

Prices have a range with this model depending on the reseller and options they've added to the mix. There's a couple of other options I've been looking at for additional features like Thunderbolt 4 for moving data around at a snappier pace.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 - $1750
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 - $1800

For what you're using it for though I would probably stick with the cheapest option since you're not talking about doing GPU intensive tasks like AAA gaming. The things I look for are retaining resale value as I tend to swap laptops / PC's every other generation of CPU being released. Keeping the GPU up to date helps in resale as well.

Realistically you could probably go even cheaper by switching to more of a tablet setup with an external monitor / keyboard through a USB docking station for when you need to be more efficient with docs editing. I did this with a Surface Pro for portability at work for awhile. There's plenty of options to go with depending on how much upgradeability you want to have in the long term if you don't want to churn the laptop.

https://www.sagernotebook.com/Intel-Core-i7-12700H/ - this is a reseller that has a better website for viewing options based on CPU / GPU / etc.

If you want to compare with a bit more OEM diversity - https://xoticpc.com/collections/custom-gaming-laptops-notebooks

 

[mgistr]

I use Clevo / Sager for the price / performance. I'm currently eyeing up barebones setups for ADL/12700H with 16GB and shooting for RTX3600 but, most of the newer models seem to be 3050 which is a wash with my current GTX1650.

A barebones setup minimum is coming in at $1099 with a 3050

https://barebone.rjtech.com/clevo-barebone-laptop-series/?features_hash=314-1546

Pre-configured though are only slightly higher or you can add the drive/RAM and other items under the BB option as well but, it's cheaper to add them yourself.

https://barebone.rjtech.com/clevo-complete-laptop-series/?features_hash=314-1546_315-1225-1205

Prices have a range with this model depending on the reseller and options they've added to the mix. There's a couple of other options I've been looking at for additional features like Thunderbolt 4 for moving data around at a snappier pace.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 - $1750
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 - $1800

For what you're using it for though I would probably stick with the cheapest option since you're not talking about doing GPU intensive tasks like AAA gaming. The things I look for are retaining resale value as I tend to swap laptops / PC's every other generation of CPU being released. Keeping the GPU up to date helps in resale as well.

Realistically you could probably go even cheaper by switching to more of a tablet setup with an external monitor / keyboard through a USB docking station for when you need to be more efficient with docs editing. I did this with a Surface Pro for portability at work for awhile. There's plenty of options to go with depending on how much upgradeability you want to have in the long term if you don't want to churn the laptop.

https://www.sagernotebook.com/Intel-Core-i7-12700H/ - this is a reseller that has a better website for viewing options based on CPU / GPU / etc.

If you want to compare with a bit more OEM diversity - https://xoticpc.com/collections/custom-gaming-laptops-notebooks

Thanks for the recommendation. You're right, I don't need something super intensive and I was looking at Ryzen 5 processors with internal GPUs. However I wouldn't go with an external monitor as the setup needs to be compact enough to use on a bed.

 

[Tech Junky]

R5's are an option as well. There are some pro/con between AMD / Intel when it comes to some options. AMD doesn't offer TB4 because it's an Intel thing currently but, USB4 is an option which if you're looking for 40gbps port speed can be had. Intel is releasing new GPU's for lightweight systems in a couple of days called Arc Alchemist that should be competitive with the RTX setups. The new Arc's should bring prices down a little bit as well since Intel is planning on being able to ship 4M of them in 2022.

The tablet / external monitor would be an option as long as you're not needing to work on things that need a keyboard / bigger screen. There are also Bluetooth keyboard folios though for a compact / carry setup.

If you don't need the latest tech there's always older CPU generations that will support all of the things you're mentioning. Windows 11 just requires a couple of things like 9th gen or newer Intel and TPM. Off the top of my head though I don't know the requirements for AMD. On the flip side you could always se Linux for the raw power of the hardware w/o worrying about niche Windows requirements.

 

[mgistr]

R5's are an option as well. There are some pro/con between AMD / Intel when it comes to some options. AMD doesn't offer TB4 because it's an Intel thing currently but, USB4 is an option which if you're looking for 40gbps port speed can be had. Intel is releasing new GPU's for lightweight systems in a couple of days called Arc Alchemist that should be competitive with the RTX setups. The new Arc's should bring prices down a little bit as well since Intel is planning on being able to ship 4M of them in 2022.

The tablet / external monitor would be an option as long as you're not needing to work on things that need a keyboard / bigger screen. There are also Bluetooth keyboard folios though for a compact / carry setup.

If you don't need the latest tech there's always older CPU generations that will support all of the things you're mentioning. Windows 11 just requires a couple of things like 9th gen or newer Intel and TPM. Off the top of my head though I don't know the requirements for AMD. On the flip side you could always se Linux for the raw power of the hardware w/o worrying about niche Windows requirements.

Tbh I'll prioritize quiet operation over raw power. I currently have an ASUS ROG Strix II (2060 GPU) and I hate it. Too noisy. Half the time I want to toss it in the bin cause of the noise from both the CPU and GPU fans.
I don't do enough graphics editing to justify something like that. I just need a 15-inch laptop with excellent speakers and a numpad. Shouldn't be so difficult to find.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Generally the AMD laptops don't ramp up the fan as much as the Intel ones. Also, why not the M1 Macbook Air? The things you want to do can be done on MacOS too. Is there x86 software that you absolutely need to work on the laptop?

EDIT: you mentioned excellent display. You should get an ASUS OLED laptop. As for speakers, I don't think great speakers in a laptop chassis exist. Even if you find a laptop like that, you would end up compromising on something else.

 

[Tech Junky]

Well the noise factor can be a simple solution with better thermal paste or a graphite pad to conduct heat better to keep the fans silent. The other option is to run in silent mode which reduces the power levels of both CPU/GPU to keep them cooler.

Using FN + 1 on the clevo toggles between settings to adjust. As for displays you can swap them out relatively easily with some time and patience. I did mine from fhd to uhd in about 20 mins and $150.

 

[mgistr]

Generally the AMD laptops don't ramp up the fan as much as the Intel ones. Also, why not the M1 Macbook Air? The things you want to do can be done on MacOS too. Is there x86 software that you absolutely need to work on the laptop?

EDIT: you mentioned excellent display. You should get an ASUS OLED laptop. As for speakers, I don't think great speakers in a laptop chassis exist. Even if you find a laptop like that, you would end up compromising on something else.

MBA doesn't have a 15-inch option plus I generally prefer Windows to MacOS. I currently have an ASUS ROG Strix II with great speakers and a good screen. Unfortunately you can't hear anything over the roar of the GPU fans, plus the keyboard is starting to fail, one key at a time.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Asus ROG Strix G15 review (G513RW - AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX)

This is my detailed review of the Asus ROG Strix G15 2022 series, their everyday all-purpose/gaming laptop built on AMD Ryzen and Nvidia RTX hardware for this

www.ultrabookreview.com

The Asus Armory Crate app's manual profile lets you tweak the CPU/GPU power use for lower noise. The speakers are also pretty decent.

 

[GregoryHowdy]

I am using acer aspire. Ultrabook. Quiet and multitasking. I even process video But taking into account the fact that I put a light system on it.

 

[jhona48]

The MacBook Air, powered by Apple’s M1 processor, is the best laptop you can buy. The base model, which includes 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, including the same 2560 x 1600 screen, Touch ID, 720p webcam, fingerprint sensor, and scissor-switch keyboard.

 

[lakedude]

This might be obvious but lower power will generally mean less noise.

$2k is way overkill for your computing needs.

Maybe just adjust your power and fan profiles on your current system?

 

[mgistr]

This might be obvious but lower power will generally mean less noise.

$2k is way overkill for your computing needs.

Maybe just adjust your power and fan profiles on your current system?

Already tried that. Which is why I won't be buying an ASUS anytime soon. Or ever again.
$2k is an upper limit. I'll spend a dollar if it gets me what I want. It's just strange that with all the laptop makers in the world, it's impossible to get a 15" inch laptop with decent speakers and a good screen that runs quietly at any budget.

 

[Tech Junky]

it's impossible to get a 15" inch laptop with decent speakers and a good screen that runs quietly at any budget.

It's the dynamics of the market. Either you get powerful or quiet. Usually not both. Sounds is a minimalistic feature added but most use headphones or ear buds for good sound.

Screens on the other hand if you pay dearly for them preinstalled then there are some options but installing your own after purchase is a better deal and takes 20 mins to do it have someone else do it for you.

Laptops are marketed to the highest percentage of sale demo's not to us niche consumers looking for specific options. On this is mainly why I look for the CPU/GPU first and then build up from there by swapping the guts i.e. drive, ram, WiFi, screen, and anything else that stands out. Right now for it to be worth buying something new it needs to have a 12700h and 3060 or better to make it worthwhile. From there I can tweak things as desired. On the desktop side it's a lot easier to make your own to spec with the options you want for the same or less than a prebuilt.

 

[lakedude]

Can you switch off your 2060 completely and just run integrated graphics?

The G in ROG is for Gamers. Laptops for gamers are going to be bigger, heavier, suck more power and they are going to be louder.

Does the laptop need to run windows?

Bluetooth speakers out of the question?

 

[lakedude]

Re: My laptop purchases, I always buy laptops with dGPUs and no I do not recommended this type of machine for you. You already have such a system and you are not happy with it.

Good speakers are big and heavy BTW. Typically only a big heavy desktop replacement laptop is going to spend extra ounces from the weight budget on speakers. My biggest, heaviest laptop sounds the best.

 

[mgistr]

Can you switch off your 2060 completely and just run integrated graphics?

The G in ROG is for Gamers. Laptops for gamers are going to be bigger, heavier, suck more power and they are going to be louder.

Does the laptop need to run windows?

Bluetooth speakers out of the question?

Tried switching off the GPU but the fan stays on for some reason. Honestly don't mind if the laptop is bigger or takes more power. If it can just be quiet.
I prefer Windows and from everything I've seen or read of transitioning to MacOS, I'd probably hate it. Plus the 16-inch MBP is not as quiet as the MBA. The speakers are not a dealbreaker actually.

 

[Tech Junky]

Switching from Windows to Mac or vice versa is like switching your dominant hand for writing. It takes a bit of relearning things. I switch between Windows / Linux daily so, it's second nature to be dyslexic enough to handle either.

Quiet = low power

Silent = tablet

I've had pretty much any MFG device over the years and they all make some noise at some point. Ramping down the fans though usually just means going into the power settings and changing the profile. If you went with something classified as "ultra thin" then chances are it will be closer to silent. Anything with "book" in the name typically would fall into that category.

Other than silence I would consider the track record of a device for stability and break downs. Lenovo / Dell are pretty good. HP though tends to be a little more on the "cheap" side personally. It's a bit subjective though when picking something that ticks all of the boxes.

Take a look at the Clevo's I mentioned as they're 1/2 the price of most stuff on the market even at the high end CPU level. They can be whisper quiet when set properly.

 

[lakedude]

There are fanless full sized laptops, do a search. Most are on the small side but there are a few with bigger screens.

I didn't find many with the newest chips which was disappointing.

We have mostly Windows, Chromebook, Linux and Android stuff, but we just got a bone stock iPad and it is equally amazing and annoying. It is silent and the battery lasts forever but the OS is very inflexible. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually...

Good luck!

 

[Tech Junky]

I didn't find many with the newest chips which was disappointing.

Yeah, latest CPU are slow to rollout this time for some reason. Maybe I expect too much from Intel to have them in OEM hands prior to reveal since leaked benchmarks are two months prior to reveal. They've been ramping up the laptop releases though over the last couple of weeks which shows the configs they're pushing out. I went through clevo's list this week and they've doubled the models in a week and resellers are starting to add a couple more. The likes of MSI, gigabyte, Dell, Lenovo have a couple of models but tend to be priced higher.

 

[igor_kavinski]

It's just strange that with all the laptop makers in the world, it's impossible to get a 15" inch laptop with decent speakers and a good screen that runs quietly at any budget.

HP ENVY Laptop - 17t-ch000 touch optional (24L48AV_1)

It's on sale and while not 15.6 inch, I guess a bigger touch screen is not bad, is it? Audio is supposed to be good. With touchscreen and everything maxed out, comes out to $1240.

 

[mgistr]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. Really appreciate you trying to help me figure this out.
I'll probably go with a Lenovo ThinkPad E15/T15 or a Yoga Slim 7 Pro 16. My only worry is how long it might take if I order from Lenovo's site (seen some horror stories on Reddit).
I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!

 

[randomhero]

My recommendation is Asus Vivobook pro 16x. You can choose up to 5900hx,32 gb ram(be careful with amount of ram, soldered only), 1 TB Ssd, and up to nvidia 3050 ti, and excellent OLED 4k screen. I chose this, except its nvidia 3050.

I am very satisfied with this notebook.

 

[igor_kavinski]

My recommendation is Asus Vivobook pro 16x.

OP doesn't seem to want to give ASUS any more of his money

 

[randomhero]

OP doesn't seem to want to give ASUS any more of his money

Yeah, missed that part. My bad.

Still, recommendation stands for anyone else. I am really pleased with this notebook.