I'm looking to get a laptop in the in the $600 range. Maybe a bit more if necessary but not much. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the choices and not sure which model or even brand would be best for what I want and is likely to last a while, and thought someone here might have some good advice.
It needs to be able to duel boot Linux ok. Even though I am not exactly tech savvy, I used to use Mint because fuck windows, but I have been on a 2-in-1 tablet combo that can only run windows for a few years so I am out of the loop. I might still have to use windows for some stuff though, hence the duel boot. I would also like to be able to use it for some recording and sound design. I play an instrument and want to be able to record and edit without too much trouble. And obviously all the usual stuff like movies, image editing, etc.
It would be really nice to be able to play games reasonably well but I realize I can't get a high end gaming laptop for only $600. If there IS one that can do a good job in that price range, I would take it. I'm jealous of all the posts I see in c/games and not knowing wtf you're all talking about.
Edit: Actually, if there is a huge difference in quality or ability, I'd be curious about what's in the $800 range. I probably won't go that high in price, but I'd consider it if that put it in a totally different bracket, like the difference between a dedicated graphics card or not.
duel boot
Two laptops start up. Only one reaches the login screen.
It would probably be easier for you to shop as normal, paste a link here, and let the nerds pick out any potential challenges with the hardware. Laptop compatibility on Linux has come a long ass fucking way over the past decade and in my personal experience, it works more or less perfectly on ordinary models.
Graphics performance is not going to change much between Windows and Linux, whether the laptop uses Nvidia, AMD, or Intel graphics (hell, there are official proprietary Nvidia drivers for FreeBSD, and the AMD/Intel drivers are open source). Software compatibility will be a bigger concern than hardware, and that varies from game to game.
ok, so here's one that is just about out of my price range, but maybe worth considering. I'm not sure of those "best budget gaming laptop" lists are trustworthy or shills, but this laptop is showing up in a lot of them. Tangent, but really I hate how every single one of those lists I've found don't show the actual price there on the list itself but make you click through their affiliate links to the store in question to see what the price actually is.
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Legion-Display-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B08L27GRVMNevermind. I'm pretty sure I should be going for SSD storage instead of HDD if I want longevity.(fuck amazon of course, but it's a convenient way to search and paste links) I could put Linux on that ok, no doubt.
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GL531GT-Gaming-Laptop-GeForce/dp/B08D36HYWS ?
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VivoBook-R5-3500U-Graphics-F512DA-EB51/dp/B07QQB7552/ ?
Or maybe my eyes are too big for my budget. Just seems like anything recommended for "budget gaming laptops" is never below $750.
Hey I know Im all over this thread running my mouth
Nothing wrong with that! The comments are appreciated.
Ok, I will avoid asus. That's really helpful to know. As for speculating why they're like that, could it even be that they calculated they'll still get enough repeat buyers and that competition isn't high enough that they can do a planned obsolescence kind of thing? Maybe not, I know nothing about the industry, but these days I tend to assume companies are doing nefarious shit like that.
It would probably be easier for you to shop as normal, paste a link here
Oh, ok. Well I'm probably going to be looking around over the next week, so maybe I should post them here in there in the megathread? Might seem kinda annoying though.
Laptop compatibility on Linux has come a long ass fucking way over the past decade
I'm glad to hear that. Seems rare to find something actually improving over time when everything else seems like it's getting worse or falling apart.
If you get an older ThinkPad with a trash screen, like one bought as a fleet device by a business or university, you can actually swap out the panel in many models for a nicer optioned upgrade one yourself, but will have to use Linux drivers because the brightness control and some other bullshit will get locked out under Windows.
It's a consideration yes, but my concern with used is how long they're going to last if they already have wear, so to speak. As was being mentioned in other comments, the durability or longevity is a concern. It's very important to me that whatever I end up with lasts hopefully a long time. Though I don't know, maybe it's a situation where a used one could still run fine for years when one bought new would crap out much sooner, and it's just a crapshoot?
This is very helpful advice. Narrowing it down to thinkpads and dell business makes it much easier. Can Dell business laptops run games though?
No idea what kind of games you play but generally these business laptops will have a mid range workstation graphics card at best. They aren't the greatest for games but are decent enough for older titles and are at least better than the integrated graphics. But the vast majority of these business laptops will be using the integrated graphics in the CPU, where the newish models tend to be barely adequate for old games. If you are getting something older than 4 years with no dedicated GPU then I hope you like playing on min settings on a lower resolution.
idea pads sorta fall apart. Those 600 dollar idea pads are like that thing where the rich man buys boots once while the poor man buys boots many times. I've seen those things absolutely fall apart in months.
This is a large pitfall when it comes to laptop shopping in general. The "tech savvy" shopper will sort though all available options based on hardware specs. CPU, RAM, GPU, HD, screen resolution, peripheral ports, etc. But this does not take the build quality of the laptop into account whatsoever. The thing could have "future proof" specs, but be built in such a way where it only lasts a year.
I have no personal experience with Ideapads though.
Yes, that's very important to me, the longevity of the laptop. Even if I won't be able to play newer games as they come out, I would be really happy if it stayed nice and functional for a long, long time.
There are thinkpads with GPUs that can play quite a few games. I'm not sure what the used market looks like but I know laptops as old as 3-4 years old can play GTAV to an extent.
If longevity is very important, its important to feel out the build quality. My thinkpad X1 carbon from 2016 is still in great shape and showing no sign of failure, while I watched a friend in college buy a decent spec idea pad and within a year, the screen was falling off and it was showing 3 kinds of hardware failure. Same with a lot of gaming lenovos I saw in school. There was one that was popular around 2013/2014 that I just call the red key'd bastard. I had a ton of classmates with them and watched over the years as they fell apart while my chromebook just showed some surface wear.
What kind of games do you plan on playing? For example my X1 can play some 3d games like oblivion or rocketleague fine but I never tested it with more than that. If you're mostly playing older games, even intel graphics can handle a lot.
the screen was falling off and it was showing 3 kinds of hardware failure.
amd’s garbage northbridges from the late 2000s early 2010 came to mind. Those things got BAKED. Guarantied to be dead within 3 hours!
Apple’s macbook’s with dedicated graphics are prime examples of this, but many other laptops where killed by this.
It's sounding like thinkpads may be the way to go. I have a Lenovo Yoga that has held up really well for years aside from a screen flickering issue, so that's too bad to hear their gaming laptops don't. Or maybe I just got lucky with the one I had.
I don't know what kinds of games, really. I would like to experiment. I had an old used PS4 slim for a while and I remember playing games like Subnautica and really enjoying it, but it ran terribly on PS4 where I'd have to wait for 30 seconds after entering a new area for all the landscape to get drawn in or whatever, and I kept wishing I could play it on a decent PC, especially after seeing videos of it played on PC that made it look much more beautiful. I liked simulation/building games like Surviving Mars and got Frostpunk, but it was just way too cumbersome with a gamepad, with all the super fine detailed "clicking" that needed to be done. But I'd also like to be able to play open world games. Like all this discussion of Elden Ring recently really makes me want to participate. Like I said, it would be nice to be able to try out different games and genres, so having a computer that could handle the more intensive ones at least to some extent would be nice.
This is a tough spot with laptops tbh. The only laptops I'd honestly recommend for longevity and game performance are approaching the 2k mark like the 15'' Dell XPS.
You could get a home grade laptop with specs, and be very careful with it forever and it could play those games within your price range. Even gaming laptops.
I also don't want to get too negative and make it seem like there's nothing good. For laptops I prefer battery life and build quality because I hate the process of researching and buying them, so I don't do it very often.
What do you think of Acer Nitro 5? Which one of these would you go for if it were you getting a new laptop? Or should I go with a thinkpad? And if so, what model of thinkpad? I'm so lost. Sorry if I'm bugging anyone.
You're not bugging me. I think at the end of the day you might be disappointed with gaming performance on a thinkpad in your price range, even if it will physically outlast the sun.
Just make sure these laptops have upgradable ram and SSDs and you should be okay for the games you want to play.
As far as which one to get, if you can splurge for the one with the RTX3060 graphics, it would last you the longest and give best performance for newer games. Plus you can probably raytrace minecraft.
This acer (or asus) laptop from 2012 I have is beginning to fall apart. Broken screwstalks and bits of plastic EVERYWHERE when I took it apart for maintenance.
My inspiron 700m is from 2005 and other then worn paint and the case beginning to crack is still in one piece.
Yeah that too. I made the mistake of speccing my latop with the fingerprint reader, only to never ever use it because synaptic didn't release a driver for it.
I would generally recommend a used or refurbished Thinkpad. For you budget, you may need to set low expectations on gaming.
I think the best way to do budget laptop gaming is to get an egpu. Like an Aorus with an okay card in it. This lets you get a laptop without a discrete graphics card and keep the GPU between laptops. But an egpu costs $300-$400. Also it means you have to get a thunderbolt 3+-supportinh laptop.
Just want to say thanks to everybody for the replies and suggestions.
