Buying a new laptop

[Berkut]

So far the new laptop is really, really great. Starts in a flash, runs all the stuff I want it to run great, looks good, no extraneous crap loaded.

The only "negatives" are that it is heavier than I expected, and the fan is pretty noisy when you are pushing the graphics card, both of which are to be expected.

[Barrister]

So far the new laptop is really, really great. Starts in a flash, runs all the stuff I want it to run great, looks good, no extraneous crap loaded.

The only "negatives" are that it is heavier than I expected, and the fan is pretty noisy when you are pushing the graphics card, both of which are to be expected.

How can you expect that the laptop is heavier than you expected? 

[Berkut]

So far the new laptop is really, really great. Starts in a flash, runs all the stuff I want it to run great, looks good, no extraneous crap loaded.

The only "negatives" are that it is heavier than I expected, and the fan is pretty noisy when you are pushing the graphics card, both of which are to be expected.

How can you expect that the laptop is heavier than you expected? 

Because in my head I was thinking "Hey, I am NOT getting the 17" screen, so it should be light!"

And it is lighter than our larger, 17" laptop, but it is still pretty solid. I am sure it weighs exactly what the spec said it would weigh, but my mental "image" if that weight was rather off...

[jimmy olsen]

My last two laptops have been ASUS. The one I currently have is over 4 years old now and will probably play a top teir game like Total War Warhammer at only low to low middle graphics, so I'm definitely going to get a new one when I go home next winter.

Definitely keep us updated if you have any issues, I'll probably go with ASUS again since they've been so high quality and reliable, but I'd like to keep an open mind.

[celedhring]

Definitely getting a new laptop this summer or fall, once the new generation of graphic cards has made its way to laptops.

I want to play Witcher 3 decently 

[mongers]

My last two laptops have been ASUS. The one I currently have is over 4 years old now and will probably play a top teir game like Total War Warhammer at only low to low middle graphics, so I'm definitely going to get a new one when I go home next winter.

Definitely keep us updated if you have any issues, I'll probably go with ASUS again since they've been so high quality and reliable, but I'd like to keep an open mind.

Yes, they're well built, though this might only apply to the older models like you and I use.

[jimmy olsen]

I'm looking for a gaming laptop in the 1,200-1,500 dollar range. Any suggestions?

[Phillip V]

I'm looking for a gaming laptop in the 1,200-1,500 dollar range. Any suggestions?

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B016E80J0M/

[celedhring]

Two years later, I'm actually going to do it this time 

I'm about to buy this, since it's -15% throughout September. Are there any red flags? I'm looking for an under €1200 laptop that can play current games at *reasonable* settings, and that doesn't look like Michael Bay designed it. This one seems to fit the bill.

http://store.hp.com/SpainStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=1VN18EA&opt=ABE&mastersku=1VN18EA&masteropt=ABE&sel=NTB&

My current laptop is dying (the power connector is starting to fail and the keyboard stopped working early in the summer) so I need to buy a new laptop no matter what.

[viper37]

No red flags, it's a good laptop.  There is no SSD, but looking at it, for 1200 E, you'll need to reduce the specs elsewhere to fit in the budget.  SSD are still very expensive on laptops.

If you can live with it, it's a good machine.

[celedhring]

Yeah lack of SSD was the biggest minus, but at that price it seemed a reasonable trade. There's a bay for adding one myself, anyway.

I bought it. It's great but... it's running way too hot. The CPU gets to 60ºC just browsing and doing menial windows stuff, and it gets uncomfortable to type on the keyboard. I'm sure that's not how it's supposed to work. I did some research before buying, and certainly this issue wasn't flagged by reviewers.

I suspect the fans are not working well because you can barely hear them even with 60+ temps.

I'll call support on Monday.

[Josquius]

I bought a new HP at christmas. I think a slightly lower level than yours. It's one of those ones where you can flip it around and it becomes a tablet- which is a feature I never actually use too much as it is more stable in laptop configuration.

I like it. I never realised how useful touch screen was before. Now whenever I'm using a standard laptop I want to touch

It does get pretty hot sometimes I have to say. Especially when plugged in.

[celedhring]

So I get the HP support people to diagnose my new laptop, and it decides to suddenly start working properly again, without overheating. I don't believe in stuff magically fixing itself.

I'll see if the problem reappears again.

[viper37]

So I get the HP support people to diagnose my new laptop, and it decides to suddenly start working properly again, without overheating. I don't believe in stuff magically fixing itself.

I'll see if the problem reappears again.

In a laptop, everything is crammed together in a small package.

It could be the video card overheating, and then pushing the CPU hotter because there's not that good of an airflow inside there, and a new driver fixed a problem with that.  A semi-silent Windows update could have done that.

[celedhring]

I have narrowed the problem. The laptop actually runs cool on high loads - it never gets past 81C on stress and video  tests - it's that the fans seem to act very conservatively outside of that. Net result, the laptop is really silent, but tends to run hotter than usual in "menial" stuff, and the part of the case where the cpu's are gets warm over time.

I'll try to get support on the phone again and see if there's a fix.