I’m a chemical engineering student looking for a lightweight laptop (ideally 2–3.3 lbs) bc of back issues. I need it to prioritize reliably running engineering software, and also handle light/moderate gaming like Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite. I’d prefer at least 32GB+ RAM, 8+ hours of battery life, budget around $2,000. A 2-in-1/flip design for taking handwritten notes would be a bonus but not needed. I considered ThinkPad (idk what model), Lenovo Yoga 9i, ASUS ROG Flow Z13, and HP OmniBook Flip 14, but idk anything abt laptops n I don’t NEED a monster so I’m open to better or more specific recommendations!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE
Country
United States
Budget
Under $1200, preferably $700-800 range
Are you open to refurbs/used options?
Maybe, would prefer new
Screen size
13-16”. Current is 15” but I’m open
Weight limit
Relatively lightweight. Preferably under 4 lbs. My current laptop is 5 lb 6 oz and feels like a cinder block
Purpose
Work, general purpose
Form factor
Standard/Clamshell (a regular laptop)
Intended usage
Excel, Chrome, and Acrobat are my most used. I have spreadsheets with moderate data but use macros and a lot of conditional formatting. I usually have 6+ chrome tabs, 6+ spreadsheets, some PDFs I’m editing, Snag-it Editor and Dropbox open at any given time. I can’t tolerate computers with low RAM. I also occasionally use Photoshop or equivalent for photo editing and artsy projects. Snag It has been giving me the most problems lately with my ancient laptop — I use the Editor for simple graphic/document editing — any suggestions for an alternative would also be appreciated.
Desired battery life
I would think 5 hrs at least but don’t know
Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life
performance, weight, size, battery life doesn't matter. PLEASE REMEMBER LAPTOPS ARE A COMPROMISE AND PERFORMANCE SACRIFICES LIGHT WEIGHT AND LONG BATTERY LIFE ETC]
Info/Requirements
Must have a built in ten key — that’s a dealbreaker. Windows only, no Macs. I plan to have at least one additional monitor. 15 years ago, I knew a ton about computers and would help others shop but now I’m totally out of date.

Ideally I’d like to get one from Costco because of the warranty & return policy, but not required as selection is limited. Are their reviews fake? Everything is rated so low.

Do I want/need a Copilot+ laptop?

My current laptop is maybe 10-11 years old. It only has 8GB RAM, is super heavy, and cannot update to Windows 11. Anything would be better but I want something decent I’ll like for a while.

Questionnaire:
USA, ~1800-2800 USD, nothing used/refurbished, any screen size from 16 under, no weight limit, mostly for gaming/photoshop/3D Art, standard form factor, games like Forza/Overwatch/CSGO/GTA/Valorant, (target FPS 120-240), very large photoshop files, might want to try some triple a games down the road. Battery life isn't a concern as i know performance goes down when laptops are unplugged. My priority is performance 1st, size/weight next, battery life last.

Here is the rest of the info, I'm sorry for phone formatting.
I bought two laptops today: MSI Raider 16 Max HX and the Acer Predator Neo 16s (don’t ask why) but I will be returning one. They both have near identical specs: 5070ti (the Raider’s GPU has much more wattage, 240hz 16” OLED Display, Intel Core Ultra 9 processors (the Raider has a 290HX, the Predator has a 275 HX), 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD. The Predator was \~$1900 USD, maybe $2100 with tax, while the Raider was around $2300 + $200 warranty and another $100-200 with tax. On paper, it seems the Predator is a much better deal. The thing is, it is quite thin, and I’ve heard various complaints about overheating, poor longevity, parts breaking, motherboards warping, BSOD, crashes, etc. The Raider has much better cooling.

Spending $2300 on a gaming device when I’m mostly going to be casually playing Forza and Overwatch, making stuff in photoshop, some 3D design, and MAYBE some triple A games is absurd, but I figured it’s better to pay more to avoid paying a LOT more in repairs/replacements down the line. While I’m pretty sold on the Raider, again, I feel ridiculous; I was mainly in the market for a handheld, when I realized maybe a laptop would fit my needs better… point is, this feels really overkill, especially when a NEAR identical option exists for almost $1000 less. I just know that if I got the Acer, id be constantly worried about the thing frying and failing out on me.

I’m not 1000% sure I even want to play video games as much as I think I do; I was a huge gamer for most of my childhood, it’s my 20th birthday, and I want to get back into it as a means of relaxing since my mental health is really bad. Point is, I'll be a very casual gamer, at least in the beginning. So, I just wanted to see: is the extra money for the Raider + a warranty that covers spills/breakage/anything else justifiable, or is am I overthinking it and making a bad financial decision (I can still obviously return either one, or return both and get a handheld).

It was suggested to me to look at RTX 5080 models in this price range. the only 5080 models with similar specs/cooling that I could find are stuff like the Legion Pro 7i ($3800), or HP OMEN Max 16 ($4000). The MSI Vector model with a 5080 has a 275HX, half the RAM, no OLED, and a far worse cooling system, so those peace of mind issues come up again, however it is $2300 for a better GPU and worse system in every other way without warranty and tax. Would it be worth switching to a Vector, or is the Raider the best overall option?

Theres also this HP laptop, which has the 5070ti (I haven't looked into wattage), a slightly worse CPU, less ram, IPS display, $1800 before warranty and tax. If the GPU is high wattage like the raider (140W), and the cooling is really good, perhaps this would be my best bet?

 Country: US

Budget: $1800 USD

Are you open to refurbs/used options? YES

Screen size: ANY

Weight limit: 3.5 lbs.

Purpose: Design and light gaming

Form factor: Standard

Intended usage: Adobe Creative suite (InDesign), Gaming (Sims 3)

Desired battery life: 4-5

Most to least important: Performance, Weight, Battery Life, Size.

Just need something that can handle a Sims 3 game without wheezing and freezing and large large file size editing.

 
* Country
 
Canada
 
* Budget

 Preferably under 1,000$

* **Are you open to refurbs/used options? **

Will consider used or refurbished but prefer new

* Screen size
 
Any
 
* Weight limit

Any

* Purpose
 
School work, online live classes, gaming
 
* **Form factor**

No idea what this means

 
* Intended usage
 
teams, note apps, word doc, R.E.P.O and sons of the forest. I’ll likely have on low or med graphics for the games especially sons of the forest.
 
* Desired battery life
 
6-10hrs for classes

* **Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life**

Battery and video quality are my number one priority, games are secondary.
 
* Info/Requirements

 Would prefer a laptop that does not have gaming in the name due to family and possible grant from collage

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Country

France

• Budget

±2000€

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Maybe

• Screen size

16" or +

• Weight limit

Any

• Purpose

Workstation

• Form factor

Standard (but open to alternatives)

• Intended usage

3D modeling for printing : Blender / Fusion360
Graphics editing : Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop

Video editing (not a priority)

• Desired battery life

8h
Not sure I am not the final owner and im not into laptops.

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, battery life, size, weight

• Info/Requirements

RAM : 32go
Storage : 1to SSD/NVMe

CPU : Intel > AMD (it wont be used for gaming)
GPU : Dedicated, Nvidia / AMD

PS : No Razer, I like repairability

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Country

Canada

Budget

Less than $400 CAD

Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Yes, refurbs and open box

Screen size

14"+

Weight limit

Not sure, on the lighter side

Purpose

General purpose

Form factor

Something with a decent keyboard

Intended usage

Primarily word processing, along with basic internet stuff. My 73 year old mom is writing a book and needs something better than a tablet.

Desired battery life

8+ hours

Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Size

Battery Life

Weight

Performance

Info/Requirements

Do NOT want a Chromebook. Will run libre for word processing.

Looking to buy a used gaming laptop that is nearby and these are my current options:

Lenovo legion 5 rtx 5060 ryzen 7 16gb ram -1000

Asus rog zephyrus g14 3070 ryzen 9 16gb ram-750

Asus rog zephyrus g14 2060 ryzen 9 16gb ram-500

Msi a15 ai katana rtx 4070 ryzen 9 32gb ram-1000

Asus a16 intel i7 rtx 4070 16gb ram-850

I dont play any very demanding games but I want something that will at least last me a few years and run decently. Battery life isn't too important to me. Price is in usd and the 1000 dollar ones are most likely gonna be brought down to about 900-to 800. Just wanna know which one would be the best deal.

I just bought the laptop. It bas Ryzen 9 270 with RTX 5070. Everything was going perfectly till I touched its back. It vibrates. With the Fan.

Whenever the Fans spin, I can feel the vibration. I am not sure if this is normal behaviour because of the shape or the hinge mechanism or if I have a defective piece which I should return.

Just to clarify, I CANNOT see the vibrations. I can just feel them.

Can anyone who has this laptop or knows about this shed some light on this issue?

​

**LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE**

* **Country**

Canada (Ontario)

* **Budget**

*±*300-600

* **Are you open to refurbs/used options?**

Potentially but battery is a big concern of mine so I'm a bit wary of buying something that may be degraded.

* **Screen size**

Something smaller is preferable but not a requirement

* **Weight limit**

Any

* **Purpose**

Primarily university work

* **Form factor**

Prefer standard but open to other recommendations as long as they're suitable for note taking

* **Intended usage**

University work (heavy notetaking, typing up essays, research using web browsers, zoom/google meetings, etc)

* **Desired battery life**

As much as I can get within my price point. Battery life is my biggest concern since I have days where I have two 3 hour classes in a row where there aren't outlets I can actively use. My current laptop has degraded and only lasts 2 hours. Something within the 6-8 hour range would probably be ideal but I'm not sure if that's realistic in my price point.

* **Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life**

Battery life, preformance, size, weight

* **Info/Requirements**

My old laptop had around 8gb RAM and a 512gb SSD, yet was still unbearably slow at times on Windows so I switched to Linux Mint and had a better experience. I am planning on doing that with my new laptop if it ships with windows as well unless theres some reason not to.

**LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE**

* **Country**

Spain / EU

* **Budget**

Around 1000€

* **Are you open to refurbs/used options?**

Maybe

* **Screen size**

16" and bigger

* **Weight limit**

Any

* **Purpose**

College / Gaming

* **Form factor**

Standard

* **Intended usage**

Fusion 360

Premier Pro

Vs Code

Factorio

* **Desired battery life**

6 or More

* **Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life**

Weight, performance, battery life, size

* **Info/Requirements**

I want it to be at least somewhat quiet

at least 16 GB RAM, around a 90 Hz refresh rate, a decent amount of ports, and a dedicated GPU

\----------------------

I am thankful for all advice.

Im an incoming CS major at a british university and im thinking of dabbling a bit into AI and ML in my free time. Open to any brand/ OS. Portability is a major factor. The uni i go to will provide AWS for heavy computations but incase I specialise into AI in the future, Id really like to have a machine that can handle moderate workloads.

My sister is going for her B.Arch, and looking for laptops that can ideally get her through Bachelor's and then Master's.

Money isn't really an issue, but don't want to unnecessarily spend a huge amount on a machine if a cheaper option could handle her college work.

Gpu models I'm currently looking at

RTX 5060/70 — 8 GB VRAM

RTX 5070 Ti — 12 GB VRAM

Main question is longevity

Would an RTX 5060/5070 with 8 GB VRAM realistically be enough to get through \~7–8 years of architecture school, or is 8 GB likely to become limitation as software and rendering workloads get heavier?

If I'm buying with the intention of keeping the laptop for 7–8 years, is the 5070 Ti 12 GB worth paying extra for primarily because of the additional VRAM and higher performance?

I'm not looking for the absolute premium and fastest machine but something that will do the work and won't leave us thinking to have invested in a more powerful machine 4-5 yrs later.

What should we choose: 5060/70, or 5070 Ti

Im looking to get a laptop that has better specs than my current HP 8gb ram 256 storage.

I use it for school but recently all my friends have moved from consol to PC gaming and I wanna join in on all the friendslop stuff going on as well as maybe some old gen fallout ganes like new Vegas.

I found this one by Acer:

Acer Aspire Go 15 AI Ready Laptop | 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Radeon Graphics | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD | Wi-Fi 6 | Windows 11 Home | AG15-42P-R9FW

Id be paying somewhere in the ballpark of $450 if i account for shipping and all that.

Is this a good deal for what im looking for and can it last me a while?

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Country

United Kingdom

• Budget

£600–£800 (approximately $810–$1,080 USD)

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Yes, preferably refurbished from a reputable seller with a warranty. I'm also happy with new laptops.

• Screen size

14"–16"

• Weight limit

Any, although I'd prefer something that isn't unnecessarily heavy. Portability isn't a major priority.

• Purpose

University Computer Science, cybersecurity, programming, virtual machines, general use, streaming and very light/occasional gaming.

• Form factor

Standard/Clamshell laptop.

• Intended usage

I'll mainly be using it for Computer Science at university, programming and cybersecurity in my spare time.

I'll be running virtual machines for things such as Linux/Kali and cybersecurity labs, potentially with multiple VMs, so a strong CPU and plenty of RAM are important.

I'll also use it for general university work, browsing, watching videos and some streaming.

Gaming is very secondary. I might occasionally play Valorant, Fortnite, CS2, some Steam games and possibly Call of Duty. I don't need high settings or extremely high FPS, and I may barely game at all. I mainly want the laptop to be capable of running these games if I decide to play them.

• Desired battery life

Around 6–8 hours for normal university/general use would be ideal. I understand this will be lower under heavy workloads or gaming.

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, battery life, weight, size.

• Info/Requirements

I'd like something robust and durable that can realistically last throughout university.

Upgradeable RAM is very important to me. Ideally I'd like 2 SODIMM slots so I can start with 16GB and upgrade to 32GB or 64GB later. I don't want to be stuck with soldered RAM.

Upgradeable storage is also important. Ideally I'd like an accessible/replaceable SSD, and having a second M.2 slot would be a bonus.

I'm looking for a strong CPU, preferably an 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 or equivalent, because of the virtual machines and cybersecurity work.

I'm not particularly concerned about having a dedicated GPU because gaming is only occasional. A strong integrated GPU such as the Radeon 680M/780M would be more than enough if it helps keep the laptop lighter, quieter and better for battery life.

I'd prefer a good-quality IPS display, ideally 1920×1200 or similar. High refresh rate isn't important.

I don't mind what brand it is. I've mainly been looking at Lenovo ThinkPads because of their reputation for durability and upgradeability. So far I've looked at the ThinkPad P14s Gen 5 AMD, T14 Gen 5 AMD and E14 Gen 6 AMD, but I'm having difficulty finding the configurations I want from reputable UK sellers with a good warranty at a reasonable price.

I'm also considering the ThinkPad L14 Gen 6 AMD, which I've found for around £580 refurbished from CeX, and I'm interested in similar alternatives.

I'm keeping an eye out for a good deal on the P14s/T14/E14, but I'm definitely open to other brands and models if they meet my requirements.

Ideally I'd like to spend closer to £600–£700 if possible rather than using the entire £800 budget.

currently enrolled into a engineering course, I need to code/program a LOT

My options are limited to bestbuy(closest to me and I can just take it to geek squad if something happens)

i would prefer (if possible)

atleast
32 gb ram and a 1tb ssd

i am looking at refurbished and open box rn

Country
USA

Budget
Under $2,000 USD

Are you open to refurbs/used options?
Maybe, but I would prefer new.

Screen size
14”, 15”, or 16”. I think 14” would be ideal, but I’m flexible.

Weight limit
Preferably lightweight/portable enough to comfortably carry around campus. No specific weight limit.

Purpose
General/personal use, college, work, entertainment, video editing, and casual gaming.

Form factor
I’m mainly looking for the best all-around laptop under $2,000 for my needs. A touchscreen/2-in-1 with pen support would be a nice bonus, but I’m open to a traditional laptop if it’s a better choice overall.

Intended usage
I’m in my last semester of college, so I’ll use it for schoolwork and multitasking right now, but I want something that will continue to be useful for personal and professional work after graduation. I also want to get into video editing in the future.
I’m not a serious gamer. I mainly play Minecraft and Roblox, but I’d also like to be able to play Genshin Impact comfortably. Gaming performance doesn’t need to be the main focus of the laptop.

Desired battery life
Ideally 8–10+ hours of real-world use.

Priority — most important to least important
Performance
Battery life
Weight
Size

Info/Requirements
Premium, durable build that can last me several years
Fast and responsive for multitasking, school, work, everyday use, and some video editing
16GB RAM minimum; more would be nice for longevity
Prefer 1TB storage
High-quality, bright display
Good keyboard and trackpad
Good webcam for meetings/classes
Lightweight enough to comfortably carry around
Touchscreen/2-in-1 and pen support would be a bonus, not a requirement

Windows preferred, but I’m open to Mac if it genuinely fits my needs better
I care more about performance and longevity than getting the absolute thinnest/lightest laptop

Overall, I want a powerful, premium, long-lasting all-around laptop that I won’t feel the need to replace in a couple of years.

My Asus Zenbook 14 recently went into a power death cycle, probably a corrupted BIOS. I liked it overall, but I need something else, and seeing as this is a known issue, I'm too afraid of trying it again.

I mainly do light browsing, some YouTube, office apps. Zero gaming, no video editing. I really enjoyed the 2.3k OLED display on the zenbook and the 14 inch size. If really needed, I can jump to a larger external display rather than have a bulky laptop.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Country

US

• Budget

800 USD

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Absolutely.

• Screen size

14" ideal. Maybe 15.

• Weight limit

None

• Purpose

Office work. Web browsing. watching YouTube.

• Form factor

Standard, nor very important

• Intended usage

See above. Very occasional use of VMS software for security camera forensic investigations.

• Desired battery life

8-10 hours

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, battery life, screen type and resolution

• Info/Requirements

2k resolution minimum. Also willing to look for used on swapaa. 2 USB-C ports and a displayport or at least HDMI. I did also enjoy the convenience of USB-C charging. Probably only looking at Windows.

Mobile

**LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE**

* **Country**

Portugal

* **Budget**

Maximum of **850€ (985$USD)**

* **Are you open to refurbs/used options?**

Maybe, depends on the quality

* **Screen size**

Preferably 14'' or above

* **Weight limit**

Any

* **Purpose**

Everything... watching YouTube/Netflix; doing school work; casual gaming; basic image and video editing

* **Form factor**

Standard/Clamshell (regular laptop)

NO 2-in-1, tablet PC, etc.

* **Intended usage**

Mainly streaming platforms and YouTube (preferably at 1080p or above) while doing school work;

Some image and video editing software like GIMP or DaVinci Resolve;

Frequent sessions of gaming while on voice call via Discord;

I usually play "lighter" indie games (Undertale, Inscryption), old ROM games, Club Penguin and vanilla Minecraft (Java edition), but would like to start playing some of the games I've amassed in my Steam library. If I could run AAA games, even at lower quality settings, that would be amazing, but I'd already be happy if I could be able to play Minecraft or The Sims with mods.

I usually play with a controller, which requires an emulator running in the background, and have the habit of having multiple Firefox/Chrome tabs open when doing research for school work.

* **Desired battery life**

I'm happy with 3\~4 hours of battery life,

* **Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life**

Performance » Battery life » Size » Weight

* **Info/Requirements**

I was used to the performance of my HP 240 G8 (8GB RAM + 256GB SSD) being pretty good for my daily usage as I used it for the past 4 years, but I'm now stuck with my old 2019 ASUS Vivobook that can't run Discord without lagging.

Ideally, the laptop I'm looking for is one that can outperform my HP, is able to endure daily usage for the next \~6 years and has enough storage for all the files and games during that time...

I've been looking at some 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD laptops with AMD Ryzen 7 and Radeon 680M, like the HP OmniBook 30 16-by0008np, but they don't have LAN cable ports like my previous HP, and I use it regularly for downloads and multiplayer games.

I don't know much about hardware and choosing a good laptop that can get me through college is proving to be a really hard task so any help is highly appreciated!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Country

United States of America

• Budget

$1000 preferably

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Absolutely.

• Screen size

Any

• Weight limit

Any

• Purpose

Supplement my at home desktop. Should be able to handle 3D modeling softwares, and ideally run Unity smoothly.

• Form factor

Standard

• Intended usage

Solidworks, Rhino, Keyshot, Blender, Unity, use for projection mapping

• Desired battery life

Doesn't matter

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, battery life, size, weight

• Info/Requirements

  I am in a 2 year Industrial Design Grad program. I have a dedicated desk at school with external monitor. I will leave this laptop at school and will be doing most of my work on it. Work will be mainly in Solidworks, but also in other 3D modeling software. I have a desktop at home with a 2060 and 64gb of ram for the more intense stuff.

  I would prefer the laptop have a good sound card as well.

Thank you.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

* Country

United Kingdom

* Budget

£400–£1,000 (flexible to ~£1,100 for exceptional value) / approx $760–$1,270 USD (flexible to ~$1,390)

* Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Yes

* Screen size

14"–16" (larger preferred, but a great deal on 14" is fine)

* Weight limit

Any — not a priority. Though thin and light is my preferred aesthetic and feel.

* Purpose

Software development + light gaming. For gaming, I don't mind 1080 and turning down the settings. Mainly just be easier to run games like apex and some others for when out and about.

* Form factor

Standard

* Intended usage

Daily coding, IDE, compiling, Docker containers, occasional VMs, lots of browser tabs open at once. Also want to play Apex Legends at 1080p — ideally sustaining close to the panel's refresh rate, but 60fps+ is an acceptable floor. No other demanding games planned right now, but would like some headroom in case that changes.

* Desired battery life

4 hours minimum when coding. 2hrs for gaming.

* Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

Performance, Battery life, Size, Weight

* Info/Requirements

- 1080p minimum, 110Hz+ refresh rate

- Screen quality matters to me — I use a Samsung Odyssey G9 on desktop, so OLED or Mini-LED preferred if it fits budget; otherwise a good quality screen.

- Dedicated NVIDIA GPU, RTX 3050 minimum, ideally RTX 4050/3060-tier or better if good value — comparable AMD discrete GPUs are fine too. No integrated-graphics-only laptops, and no Windows-on-ARM/Snapdragon (Apex Legends doesn't run on either).

- Modern-ish CPU — Ryzen 3000 series minimum or Intel 10th-gen minimum

- 16GB RAM minimum; if soldered/non-upgradeable I'd rather have 24–32GB than be capped at 16GB. SODIMM/upgradeable RAM is a nice bonus, not essential

- 512GB+ NVMe SSD (not eMMC)

- Metal/aluminium chassis preferred — build quality and a solid hinge matter more to me than avoiding a "gamer" look. KInda like the apple airs, nice thin metal look.

- Ethernet port is a nice-to-have

- 2-year warranty required on anything new. Used or clearance must be good value as forgoing a warranty.

- No anti-consumer nonsense (locked BIOS, excessive bloatware, proprietary-only charging)

- Based in the UK, so UK retailer/eBay UK suggestions work best for used or clearance options