Laptop Guidance

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I know I made a lot of posts about laptops. I realize that. But this time is different.

 

I do not game (currently), but I want a good sturdy laptop. Sturdy, now Lenovo has been known for sturdiness in their T4## range of Thinkpads. I got to test my friend's T430, and rather like it. I've seen a review on here about the T480 recently.

 

Understand that refurbished devices do not scare me one bit. 2 monitors in this house were. (used by my Dad atm) My personal TV was. An old laptop I used to have was. (sold it ~5 years ago) To this day, they work great!

 

I found these deals online. However, I do not know the difference between one model or the next:

 

Grade A Refurbished: $259 Lenovo ThinkPad T420 • Core i5 2520M • Win 10 Home 64 Bit • 320GB HDD • 8GB RAM • WEBCAM • DVD

 

https://refurbees.com/products/259-397-without-code-tp55-lenovo-thinkpad-t420-core-i5-win-10-home-64-bit-320gb-hdd-84gb-ram-webcam-dvd-free-shipping-use-code-tp55

 

Grade B Refurbished: $269 Lenovo ThinkPad T430 • Core i5 3320M• Windows 10 Home 64 Bit • 128GB SSD • 8GB RAM • HD Webcam • DVD

 

https://refurbees.com/products/254-376-without-code-tp25-lenovo-thinkpad-t430-core-i5-windows-10-home-64-bit-128gb-ssd-8gb-ram-free-shipping-254-delivered

 

Grade B Refurbished: $499 Lenovo ThinkPad T450s Touch Performance UltraBook, 14" LED Display • Core i7-5600U • Win 10 Pro • 180GB SSD • 8GB RAM • HD Webcam • Backlit Keyboard

 

https://refurbees.com/products/497-608-without-code-lt18-lenovo-thinkpad-t450-intel-core-i5-256gb-solid-state-hard-drive-8gb-ram-windows-10-pro-64-bit-free-shipping-use-code-lt45-497-delivered

 

Grade B Refurbished: $499 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook • Core i7 4600U • Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit • 240GB SSD • 8GB RAM

 

https://refurbees.com/products/449-899-without-code-ltx1-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-ultrabook-core-i7-windows-10-professional-64-bit-180gb-ssd-8gb-ram-free-shipping-use-code-ltx1c-449-delivered

 

NEW: $599 (newegg 50% off sale) Lenovo Laptop ThinkPad L460 (20FU0025US) Intel Core i5 6300U (2.40 GHz) 8 GB Memory 256 GB SSD Intel HD Graphics 520 14.0" Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit (Downgrade From Windows 10 Pro)

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834321969&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL052218&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL052218-_-EMC-052218-Index-_-LaptopsNotebooks-_-34321969-S0B&ignorebbr=1

 

Touch is nice, but not a GREAT need. I bought my Dad the X1, from same site, for XMas last year. And I liked it, just wondering if I can get better quality out of another device.

 

Prices are thus. If you can get anything with a better build than those for a better price, let me know.

[sc302 Veteran]

the x1 is going to be the best out of all of them (spec wise).  

 

Alternatively you can look at the hp elitebook folio 1040, I like/hate the touchpad equally in both this and the X1.  They should die a fiery death and the engineers who designed them should have their toe nails removed by pliers while watching howard the duck or gili on the 20th go around without Novocaine, and after having lots of coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Well, I never used the trackpad. Always use an external mouse. So that really doesn't hurt me.

 

I know the X1 is best. So says @T3X4S.

 

Never looked at HP. But if those are corporate grade, (not consumer grade *gags*) I might take a look.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

31 minutes ago, sc302 said:

Alternatively you can look at the hp elitebook folio 1040

You mean this?

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAEVR6WG0394&cm_re=hp_elitebook_folio_1040-_-9SIAEVR6WG0394-_-Product

 

I saw the i5 version is ~$90 less.

[sc302 Veteran]

That is the g1 but yes.  They had fan issues (noise/rubbing) on that model.  The g2 and g3 are a bit better. And yes they are business models, they are their high end standard business models...3 yr warranty when new. 

 

G3 has 6th gen processors

g2 has 5th gen

g1 has 4th gen. 

 

There is a refurb g1 on eBay for $320. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteBook-Folio-1040-G1-Intel-Core-i7-8GB-RAM-256GB-SSD-G4U68UT/323259068655?epid=1739774159&hash=item4b43bdf0ef:g:xasAAOSwxQha~D85

 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I saw Linus just review a G4 on that...

 

 

[sc302 Veteran]

G4 is nice but win10 only.  Can't do that yet at work....I am working on that.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

G4 is $2000, too...

 

[sc302 Veteran]

5 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

G4 is $2000, too...

 

so is a g3 ;)   The i7's with 16GB of ram and 512 drives are there in either case.  That is about what the i7's always were, anywhere between 1700 and 2k.  

 

If you get the 4k touchscreen it is 2500  1TBssd, 16 gb ram, i7 7820HQ processor  ($2543 is my price).

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I see this on eBay, a 1040 G3 for $380:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteBook-1040-G3-14in-Intel-i5-6200U-512GB-8GB-RAM-Windows-10/153014530324?hash=item23a0607114:g:f0wAAOSwipdaySyX

 

He says it just has hairline scratches

 

Edit: But, the only thing I hate about cheap, is you normally get crap that way...

[sc302 Veteran]

11 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

I see this on eBay, a 1040 G3 for $380:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteBook-1040-G3-14in-Intel-i5-6200U-512GB-8GB-RAM-Windows-10/153014530324?hash=item23a0607114:g:f0wAAOSwipdaySyX

 

He says it just has hairline scratches

yep, it is an i5...a bit of a far cry from the i7, but a perfectly capable laptop.

 

FWIW, you probably won't see much of a performance difference between the two....maybe if you wanted the extra memory or drive space.

 

 

edit: the question I have with that is why do they state Hard Drive capacity at 128GB and they also state SSD capacity at 512GB....which is it?

 

edit2:  here is what that laptop is going for on newegg (refurbished)  and it is 256 not 512 or 128....512 didn't come with i5s to my knowledge, that was reserved for the i7's: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA22F5VY2742&cm_re=elitebook_1040_g3_refurbished-_-9SIA22F5VY2742-_-Product   

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

9 minutes ago, sc302 said:

edit: the question I have with that is why do they state Hard Drive capacity at 128GB and they also state SSD capacity at 512GB....which is it? 

Tis a mystery, right?

 

They go by HP's site information, then they put their own info in, maybe?

[sc302 Veteran]

4 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Tis a mystery, right?

 

They go by HP's site information, then they put their own info in, maybe?

going by the screenshot of the harddrive it is 512...maybe the guy upgraded the harddrive?  You can upgrade the hard drive in them, you cannot upgrade the memory or processor.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

2 minutes ago, sc302 said:

going by the screenshot of the harddrive it is 512...maybe the guy upgraded the harddrive?

No idea...

 

I have heard of this company before: https://www.refurb4less.com/hp-elitebook-folio-1040-g2-14-0-laptop-core-i5-5200u-2-7ghz-4gb-256gb-ssd-w10/

 

My friend bought some other laptop from there once. Every refurb is Grade A.

[sc302 Veteran]

4 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

No idea...

 

I have heard of this company before: https://www.refurb4less.com/hp-elitebook-folio-1040-g2-14-0-laptop-core-i5-5200u-2-7ghz-4gb-256gb-ssd-w10/

 

My friend bought some other laptop from there once. Every refurb is Grade A.

probably a little safer if that is what you are looking for.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just now, sc302 said:

probably a little safer.

My thoughts exactly...

 

I never messed with HP, but I have used corporate grade laptops from other makers as DELL or Acer. I guess no matter how ###### the company is, you can always expect the corporate grade to be superb.

[sc302 Veteran]

32 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

My thoughts exactly...

 

I never messed with HP, but I have used corporate grade laptops from other makers as DELL or Acer. I guess no matter how ###### the company is, you can always expect the corporate grade to be superb.

Yeah the corporate versions (doesn’t really matter what brand) are a big step above their bestbuy/Walmart versions.   The biggest issue with any of them are the trackpads, they all suck equally.   

 

They get bloated up pretty good at the brick and mortar places, and many times are made with subpar hardware.  

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

@sc302

 

Since you know about the HP Elitebooks, do you know anything about these?

 

https://www.amazon.com/HP-X9U63UT-Desktop-Generation-processor/dp/B01LJUQPO4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527625105&sr=8-3&keywords=HP+Elite+Slice

 

OR

 

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Workstation-Graphics-Z2D58UT-ABA/dp/B01NCLOYOR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527625096&sr=8-1&keywords=HP+Z2+Mini+G3

 

I just came across them when I was looking on a YT vid. You know if they are good/bad/meh?

[sc302 Veteran]

they aren't bad.  I buy the sff prodesk series.  

 

The ones you are looking at come with 3/3/3 year warranty, so I would say that they are probably decent.  

 

New computers are coming with 7th gen processors...both listed are 6th gen and will support windows 7.   In the description on the amazon site containing the processor information is wrong, I had to look up that particular sku on the HP site and it shows that it is a i5 6500 processor. 

 

edit: 3/3/3 = 3 year parts, 3 year labor, 3 year onsite

[DevTech]

On 5/23/2018 at 3:08 PM, Mindovermaster said:

I want a good sturdy laptop. Sturdy, now Lenovo has been known for sturdiness

Not just Lenovo, all of the Big Three laptop manufacturers make a specific line of laptops to be sturdy and functional for everyday typical laptop "keeps on ticking" requirements. Strangely enough, you don't seem to be looking at Lenovo's "sturdy laptops"

 

(There are also specific brands for "Ruggedness" such as Panasonic ToughBook which is a separate category.)

 

Simple really,

 

Lenovo: P-series - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad (scroll exactly half-way down)

(previous generation was W-series - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_W_Series)

 

HP: ZBook - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_ZBook

 

Dell: Precision - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Precision

 

Notebookcheck.net does excellent comprehensive reviews and also has top 10 lists of various categories including the "sturdy" category:

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Notebookcheck-s-Top-10-Workstation-Laptops.65537.0.html

 

Also, some models of gaming laptops use a rugged construction technique which makes them good for non-gaming business level tasks often at a lower price point but it is very very hard to separate out the well constructed ones without a physical examination.

 

Also Lenovo, HP and Dell sometimes try to use the reputation of their well built line to imply that their normal lineup inherits some sort of "sturdy DNA" but it is just marketing. Lenovo pushes the envelope a bit there. And sometimes all of them will sneak a "fake" into their well built lines which can usually be sniffed out by a large price gap to the other models.

 

Sturdy construction has higher component costs so TANSTAAFL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_ain't_no_such_thing_as_a_free_lunch)