Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 24, 2018 Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2018 Is it best to buy laptops from manufacturers as Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, HP, etc.? You don't always get the parts you want, but you can easily upgrade some parts of it. Or is it better to get custom made laptops? Such as CyberPower, etc (I cant think of any more on top of my head, but they are out there) Yes, you do get the parts you want, but you pay a premium price for their name. Which is better? Premade or Custommade? This is a discussion, I don't need a laptop, as of yet. Just something I've been wondering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenwizard88 Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 I've always purchased Dell, because it's a known entity. Rather reliable parts department, ease of finding replacements on eBay, and generally speaking they don't break if you don't abuse them. DConnell 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Unless using a laptop for gaming/video, never seen the need or want to upgrade a laptop other than memory and hard disk space. cork1958 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cork1958 Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 (edited) I've always had great luck with Dell's and HP's, myself. The business models don't have so much crap preinstalled, but if getting just a regular model, I've always wiped them out and clean installed Windows, or Linux, which I use mainly now a days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 5 minutes ago, cork1958 said: I've always had great luck with Dell's and HP's, myself. The business models don't have so much crap preinstalled, but if getting just a regular model, I've always wiped them out and clean installed Windows, or Linux, which I use mainly now a days. You can even get laptops from OEMs with no OS installed and load your own. We order Dell's at work and replace them after 3-4 years. I then take some to give to family/friends when we replace them. Still good machines with a hell of a lot of life in them. I got a Precision M3800 I use now, for free, and still is in perfect condition. I get the occasional Dell with issues OOB ranging from display issue, bad mobo, or speakers blowing out quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick H. Supervisor Posted April 24, 2018 Supervisor Share Posted April 24, 2018 I've always bought premade ones from known companies like Dell or Lenovo. I would never get an HP though, too many bad experiences through other people's purchases (although that's probably down to how the end-user uses it rather than being an issue with HP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 24, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 24, 2018 Where on cyberpower are you seeing "custom" laptops? https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/category/gaming-laptops All I see is options you can get - no different than any other laptop maker, dell, asus, hp, etc.. You can order different spec's for your laptop from any of the makers.. And get what you want (within limits).. Unlike going to say walmart and or target and looking through what they have in the shop. Say for example.. Just go here to pick out the specs you want for your 17 inch alienware gaming laptop from dell http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-17-laptop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 24, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2018 2 minutes ago, BudMan said: Where on cyberpower are you seeing "custom" laptops? https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/category/gaming-laptops All I see is options you can get - no different than any other laptop maker, dell, asus, hp, etc.. You can order different spec's for your laptop from any of the makers.. And get what you want (within limits).. Unlike going to say walmart and or target and looking through what they have in the shop. Say for example.. Just go here to pick out the specs you want for your 17 inch alienware gaming laptop from dell http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-17-laptop My brain farted... I meant IBuyPower... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 24, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 24, 2018 Still not custom build? To be honest... your just picking and adding options to some bare bone models from specific makers. Your still locked into the "laptop" case aspect... Is there list of cases you can buy, and then put in MB from maker X or Y, and video card from Z, and memory from C.. Fans from G, etc.. With a PC I can buy all the different components and then put it in a cabinet you made out of lego's if you wanted Is there some place where you can say you want Screen from A, and you want it X inches in this aspect ratio.. And you want the hinges to be like this. And you want the keyboard to be this layout.. You want it to have 2 bays for HDD, etc. etc.. I don't really think so.. So I think the discussion is more should you just go to the store and pick out what they have on the shelf and take it home and be using it in an hour. Or should you work out what you need and then go the maker that makes as close to or exactly that you want and then order it from them.. Might take a few days or even week to get it, etc.. Just like when you buy a car - you can go to the lot and get the red one, so sure the dealer might be able to swap a few options around like change the rims or leather seats, etc.. But if you really want to tweak the options you have to order it from the maker.. And not be limited to what is in stock and what they built a bunch of because those are the best selling options. And sure when you pick up the unit at the store, or the car off the lot its easier to save a few bucks vs having it built to order... Which is a better term than custom.. Built to order is really what your talking about vs already built or standard build.. Can you go anywhere and buy a laptop without HDD and or Memory even? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 24, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2018 (edited) 8 minutes ago, BudMan said: Still not custom build? To be honest... your just picking and adding options to some bare bone models from specific makers. Your still locked into the "laptop" case aspect... Is there list of cases you can buy, and then put in MB from maker X or Y, and video card from Z, and memory from C.. Fans from G, etc.. With a PC I can buy all the different components and then put it in a cabinet you made out of lego's if you wanted Is there some place where you can say you want Screen from A, and you want it X inches in this aspect ratio.. And you want the hinges to be like this. And you want the keyboard to be this layout.. You want it to have 2 bays for HDD, etc. etc.. I don't really think so.. So I think the discussion is more should you just go to the store and pick out what they have on the shelf and take it home and be using it in an hour. Or should you work out what you need and then go the maker that makes as close to or exactly that you want and then order it from them.. Might take a few days or even week to get it, etc.. Just like when you buy a car - you can go to the lot and get the red one, so sure the dealer might be able to swap a few options around like change the rims or leather seats, etc.. But if you really want to tweak the options you have to order it from the maker.. And not be limited to what is in stock and what they built a bunch of because those are the best selling options. Can you go anywhere and buy a laptop without HDD and or Memory even? I never said anything about the laptop aspect. I'm only talking about its innards. They normally have "set" options, as 15" or 17". You don't get to choose it to the screen aspect, size, refresh rate. To the car part, you can build a new one to your specification. You won't have to pick one out of the lot. If you buy it used, as on eBay, yes. Without hdd, memory, battery... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted April 24, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2018 ...a brand name notebook that fits your needs ... without soldered on memory. /thread I'm going to get the new Dell XPS15 when they come out next month to replace my 7 year old XPS15. Been happy with Dell with respect to notebooks (had an Inspiron 6000 before the XPS15). Mando and DConnell 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 24, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 24, 2018 That was my whole point exactly.. You can always get what you want from the maker, even with something as big as a car or something as small as a burger When it comes to buy your laptop - look at what they have in stock, on the dealer floor. If its not what you want - then find it online.. I just wouldn't call that custom.. Built to order vs in stock is more the question your asking sounds like to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cork1958 Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Nick H. said: I've always bought premade ones from known companies like Dell or Lenovo. I would never get an HP though, too many bad experiences through other people's purchases (although that's probably down to how the end-user uses it rather than being an issue with HP). Personally, Lenovo is junk, IMO. Not even counting the spyware they got busted for installing, I have never had one of those run as good as a Dell or HP with a clean Windows install, and I've had a few Lenovo's. Granted, a lot of any issues have to co me down to how the end user was using/abusing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draconian Guppy Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 i say go with "no name" brands such as Asus, they offer good bang for buck, such as cyberpower, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mando Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Dell latitudes and above no question, although i do fancy trying an asus, i expect it to be as good as rest of their kit tbh. But i cant let my ancient X201 die still rocking w10 with 8gb o ddr3 and a sata 2 SSD (i7 ulv 2.62ghz) the last of the IBM built thinkpad, may say lenovo, it aint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGHammer Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 4 hours ago, cork1958 said: I've always had great luck with Dell's and HP's, myself. The business models don't have so much crap preinstalled, but if getting just a regular model, I've always wiped them out and clean installed Windows, or Linux, which I use mainly now a days. In my case, it has been HP (both desktops and portables) where buying off the shelf. The single exception (ASUS X45) was due to specifics about the notebook in question - it is the only Core i3 in my entire arsenal. It also doesn't hurt that HP and ASUS actually share the same parts bins to a large extent. HP, in fact, replaced Dell as my go-to COTS PC supplier due to something that Dell did that I termed an egregious error back in the days of Northwood - unconventional interior inside a conventional case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 24, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2018 That does make sense... I never thought of looking that way. ---------------------------------------- Part 2 of my question here. Remember, I am not wanting a laptop, I just want to know what's out there. I am a Linux guy, if you haven't figured that out yet, HI! Would you trust a 100% Linux company like System76, that is built for Ubuntu? OR Would you trust a company like Dell or Lenovo? I know most will work fine, but there's always that "if" flying around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Fahim S. MVC Posted April 25, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 25, 2018 A bit confused... pretty much every machine can be "built to order" - even a Mac. The number of options you get depends on the laptop you choose, but pretty much always limited to processor, RAM, disk, screen resolution, touch, and the presence of a 4G/LTS modem/simcard slot. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 25, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Fahim S. said: A bit confused... pretty much every machine can be "built to order" - even a Mac. The number of options you get depends on the laptop you choose, but pretty much always limited to processor, RAM, disk, screen resolution, touch, and the presence of a 4G/LTS modem/simcard slot. Well, recent 2 weeks ago, I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11E. I tried several distros. Nothing worked like I wanted... The track pad wouldn't work, or my external mouse wouldn't work. I tried looking everywhere, and nothing worked... So, I returned it, get my money back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 (edited) I recently bought an Acer Aspire (https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575-33BM-15-6-Inch-Notebook-Generation/dp/B01K1IO3QW) a few months ago, added an extra 4GB RAM and put in a 275GB m2 ssd. Total, I spent ~$539 after adding a 3 year warranty. I swapped out the wireless card with a BCM94331CD from a older dell laptop I had kicking around and then put MacOS 10.12.6 Sierra on it. Everything works (sleep, audio, wifi, etc.) and runs beautifully and I have been using it as my primary laptop since. --- In the past, I have had a few HPs, a Compaq, a Toshiba, and a Lenovo. My Lenovo had the best build quality, but it didn't survive getting run over by my car. The HPs and the Compaq all had crap cooling architecture and eventually fried. The Toshiba was underpowered from the start (bound to be replaced), but felt somewhat flimsy in general. My Acer is thin and light, but I can tell it's not made from the most durable materials. So far I haven't had any issues. --- I think if you're looking for a laptop, find one with the specs to suit your needs and then get the build quality that fits your price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Fahim S. MVC Posted April 25, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said: Well, recent 2 weeks ago, I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11E. I tried several distros. Nothing worked like I wanted... The track pad wouldn't work, or my external mouse wouldn't work. I tried looking everywhere, and nothing worked... So, I returned it, get my money back... Sorry for being so blunt, but it doesn't sound like you did your research. Before pulling the trigger, make sure you look up on the web that someone has installed a distro you find acceptable on the machine. Whether it is 'custom' or 'off-the-shelf' is irrelevant to this. Jim K, +BudMan, satukoro and 2 others 5 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 25, 2018 MVC Share Posted April 25, 2018 ^ agree... BTW a google for that 11e you mentioned... Says works perfect with opensuse. https://www.networkworld.com/article/3035259/opensource-subnet/reviewing-the-lenovo-11e-a-sub-300-thinkpad-with-great-linux-support.html I have ran linux on a few different laptops overs the years - and really never had any issues getting stuff to work.. Then again I am not big graphics or mouse guy on my laptops - if the nic worked and could get a prompt I was normally happy Maybe you should go about it the other direction... You have your fav distro, look to see what people are using for laptops for that specific distro, etc. Then tweak it a bit to your liking -more memory, bigger SSD, etc. if need be and get it built to order, or off the shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 25, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 25, 2018 30 minutes ago, BudMan said: ^ agree... BTW a google for that 11e you mentioned... Says works perfect with opensuse. https://www.networkworld.com/article/3035259/opensource-subnet/reviewing-the-lenovo-11e-a-sub-300-thinkpad-with-great-linux-support.html I have ran linux on a few different laptops overs the years - and really never had any issues getting stuff to work.. Then again I am not big graphics or mouse guy on my laptops - if the nic worked and could get a prompt I was normally happy Maybe you should go about it the other direction... You have your fav distro, look to see what people are using for laptops for that specific distro, etc. Then tweak it a bit to your liking -more memory, bigger SSD, etc. if need be and get it built to order, or off the shelf. says here as well: https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201606-22447/ But I tried all l/x/k/MATE/Ubuntu, and wouldn't work right. The last distro I tried was OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, still wouldn't work right. It would either not detect my trackpad or not take my external USB mouse. Could be I just got a bad laptop.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinator Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 (edited) Be careful with asus. After a yr my wifi stopped working and in the past month 2 of 3 usb ports dont work. I would never buy another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted April 25, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 25, 2018 My Wireless card on my old DELL died, too. Was easy to swap out. Sounds like you got a lower class ASUS... Draconian Guppy 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts