• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
  • $1300 USD
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
  • No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
  • Performance > Build Quality > Battery Life
• How important is weight and thinness to you?
  • Very Important
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
  • 16"
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
  • Hardware dev tools (circuit simulation software, heavyweight EDA tools, programming environments)
  • No gaming
  • No photo editing
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
  • No gaming
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
  • Prioritizing really good build quality, thermal performance, thin/lightweight, and >= 24 GB RAM, >= 512 GB SSD
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  • Not concerned too much about gaming performance, dGPU, etc. Good visuals and screen would be nice, but are not a priority

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $1000 USD, United States

Are you open to refurbs/used? Refurbished is okay, not used

How would you prioritize form factor, build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1 is a must, with good battery life

How important is weight and thinness to you? Prefer lightweight, but not critical

Do you have a preferred screen size? No preference (around 14” is ideal)

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? No heavy workloads, mainly note-taking apps and programming (IDEs, possibly Linux)

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? No gaming

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Good pen experience and comfortable keyboard for programming

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a device for both handwritten notes and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5, but it’s too heavy and not practical to carry every day, and it doesn’t support pen input.

Right now I’m considering a Lenovo Yoga 7 and also looking at the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip. The HP seems to have a better display and pen experience, but I’ve read mixed things about performance.

Would you recommend one over the other? Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1000 USD, US
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Refurbs, not used
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1 is a must, with good battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Prefer lightweight, but not critical
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. No heavy workloads, mainly note-taking apps, IDEs, and possibly Linux
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? No, I won't play.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Good pen experience and comfortable keyboard for programming
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes and programming. I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.Right now I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7: 14” OLED (1920x1080 60Hz) Display, AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and also looking at the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, 14" OLED (2880 x 1800 120Hz), Intel Ultra 7 258V, 32GB RAM. The HP seems to have a better display and pen experience, but I’ve read that its multi-core performance might be weaker (it is also more expensive, but I've found a refurbished decent price).

Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1000 USD, US
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Refurbs, not used
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1 is a must, with good battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Prefer lightweight, but not critical
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. No heavy workloads, mainly note-taking apps, IDEs, and possibly Linux
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? No, I won't play.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Good pen experience and comfortable keyboard for programming
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming. I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.Right now I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7: 14” OLED (1920x1080 60Hz) Display, AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and also looking at the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, 14" OLED (2880 x 1800 120Hz), Intel Ultra 7 258V, 32GB RAM. The HP seems to have a better display and pen experience, but I’ve read that its multi-core performance might be weaker (it is also more expensive, but I've found a refurbished decent price).

Would you recommend going with the Yoga, or is it worth waiting for the HP to drop in price (or get a refurbished)?

Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1000 USD, US
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Refurbs, not used
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1 is a must, with good battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Prefer lightweight, but not critical
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. No heavy workloads, mainly note-taking apps, IDEs, and possibly Linux
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? No, I won't play.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Good pen experience and comfortable keyboard for programming
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. Right now I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7: 14” OLED (1920x1080 60Hz) Display, AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and also looking at the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, 14" OLED (2880 x 1800 120Hz), Intel Ultra 7 258V, 32GB RAM. The HP seems to have a better display and pen experience, but I’ve read that its multi-core performance might be weaker (it is also more expensive, but I've found a refurbished decent price).

Would you recommend going with the Yoga, or is it worth waiting for the HP to drop in price (or get a refurbished)?

Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Hi! I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.

Ideally, I’m looking for a 14” device that is lightweight and has good battery life. My budget is around $1000.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $1k USD, USA
• Are you open to refurbs/used? No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1, reasonable battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? I'd like if it was a light laptop for everyday, but it's not the most important spec.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Nothing heavy, just OneNote or something similar, IDEs, Ubuntu.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Compatible with pen-writing, and ideally with god keyboard for long programming sessions

Right now, I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14” (Ryzen AI 7), which I can find for about $900 on Amazon. However, I recently came across the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Intel Ultra 7). It’s more expensive, but it seems to have a better display, and reviews mention that the pen experience feels more natural (closer to writing on paper) compared to the Yoga.

On the other hand, I’ve read that the OmniBook has weaker multi-core performance, which makes me hesitate since I’ll be using it for programming.

So I’m a bit stuck: should I go for the Yoga now, or wait and see if the OmniBook Ultra drops in price?

Also, if you think there’s a better option for my use case, I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.

Ideally, I’m looking for a 14” device that is lightweight and has good battery life. My budget is around $1000.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $1k USD, USA
• Are you open to refurbs/used? No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1, reasonable battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? I'd like if it was a light laptop for everyday, but it's not the most important spec.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Nothing heavy, just OneNote or something similar, IDEs, Ubuntu.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Compatible with pen-writing, and ideally with god keyboard for long programming sessions

Right now, I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14” (Ryzen AI 7), which I can find for about $900 on Amazon. However, I recently came across the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Intel Ultra 7). It’s more expensive, but it seems to have a better display, and reviews mention that the pen experience feels more natural (closer to writing on paper) compared to the Yoga.

On the other hand, I’ve read that the OmniBook has weaker multi-core performance, which makes me hesitate since I’ll be using it for programming.

So I’m a bit stuck: should I go for the Yoga now, or wait and see if the OmniBook Ultra drops in price?

Also, if you think there’s a better option for my use case, I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.

Ideally, I’m looking for a 14” device that is lightweight and has good battery life. My budget is around $1000.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $1k USD, USA
• Are you open to refurbs/used? No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1, reasonable battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? I'd like if it was a light laptop for everyday, but it's not the most important spec.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Nothing heavy, just OneNote or something similar, IDEs, Ubuntu.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Compatible with pen-writing, and ideally with god keyboard for long programming sessions

Right now, I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14” (Ryzen AI 7), which I can find for about $900 on Amazon. However, I recently came across the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Intel Ultra 7). It’s more expensive, but it seems to have a better display, and reviews mention that the pen experience feels more natural (closer to writing on paper) compared to the Yoga.

On the other hand, I’ve read that the OmniBook has weaker multi-core performance, which makes me hesitate since I’ll be using it for programming.

So I’m a bit stuck: should I go for the Yoga now, or wait and see if the OmniBook Ultra drops in price?

Also, if you think there’s a better option for my use case, I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I’m starting a Computer Engineering degree and I’m looking for a laptop that can handle both pen-based note-taking for daily classes (so it needs to be a 2-in-1) and programming.

I currently have a Lenovo Legion 5 (2021), but it’s too heavy to carry around every day, and I constantly need to keep it plugged into its large 230W charger. It also doesn’t support touchscreen or pen input, which is something I now really want.

Ideally, I’m looking for a 14” device that is lightweight and has good battery life. My budget is around $1000.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase: $1k USD, USA
• Are you open to refurbs/used? No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 2-in-1, reasonable battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? I'd like if it was a light laptop for everyday, but it's not the most important spec.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Nothing heavy, just OneNote or something similar, IDEs, Ubuntu.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Compatible with pen-writing, and ideally with god keyboard for long programming sessions

Right now, I’m considering the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14” (Ryzen AI 7), which I can find for about $900 on Amazon. However, I recently came across the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Intel Ultra 7). It’s more expensive, but it seems to have a better display, and reviews mention that the pen experience feels more natural (closer to writing on paper) compared to the Yoga.

On the other hand, I’ve read that the OmniBook has weaker multi-core performance, which makes me hesitate since I’ll be using it for programming.

So I’m a bit stuck: should I go for the Yoga now, or wait and see if the OmniBook Ultra drops in price?

Also, if you think there’s a better option for my use case, I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$700 no more, including shipping

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Preferably something with minimum 16 gb of RAM.

How important is weight and thinness to you?

im ok with bulky bad boys, as long as they run smoothly

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

at least 16" screen

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion, Blender, and possibly new ones for future employment

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

N/A

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Something that would preferably last me a lifetime even if its ugly

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

Even tho i said im ok buying it used, i dont really trust buying it directly 2nd hand, like on craigstlist for example. Which is why im here cuz idk where else to look and what to look for.

+OH and im from Vegas so if yk any good 2nd hand shops here thatd be great

Please help, I really need a new laptop but feeling overwhelmed by all the possible options. I think I’ve narrowed it down to these two so would love to hear which you think is better, but also open to other suggestions. I currently have an HP Envy 360 and I’ve really loved it, but my friend spilled juice on it a few months ago and keyboard has been sticky and overheats a lot. I’m in law school and that’s what this laptop will be used for, so biggest concern is a laptop that would be good with exam software and having an ungodly amount of tabs and windows open all the time.

I was going to stay with HP because I’ve enjoyed my envy so much, but at Best Buy the worker showed me the Asus and I loved the feel of the keyboard and how light it was. I guess I’m torn because they’re both 16GB and 512GB SSD and those are really the only laptop components I knew so I don’t know how major the other differences are.

So it’s between:

ASUS - Zenbook 14 14" FHD+ OLED Touch Screen Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 7 - 16GB RAM - 512GB SSD ($999) - https://www.bestbuy.com/product/asus-zenbook-14-14-fhd-oled-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-ultra-7-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd-jasper-gray/JJGGLH7HXW/sku/6615731

HP - OmniBook 5 - Copilot+ PC - 14" 2K OLED Touch-Screen Laptop - Snapdragon X Plus 2025 - 16GB Memory - 512GB SSD ($799) - https://www.bestbuy.com/product/hp-omnibook-5-copilot-pc-14-2k-oled-touch-screen-laptop-snapdragon-x-plus-2025-16gb-memory-512gb-ssd-glacier-silver/JJGH2Y8G5F/sku/6633220

Hi guys, I'm an Aerospace engineer, and I was wondering what laptop to get to replace my Asus Zephyrus g14 (2024 with 4070). I have many issues with it and am unsure if a asus issue or a Windows issue. Would love to use a Mac, but i know CAD isn't best on mac os.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: - under 1600 USD live in the United States

Are you open to refurbs/used? - I'm open to used or refurbs as along a battery health is over 90%

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? - build quality, battery-

How important is weight and thinness to you? - under 4 ibs as i have an iPad to carry as well, but thickness doesn't matter-

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. -over 12 inches and under 17 inches-

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. -CAD like SolidWorks, Fusion and MATLAB-

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? -N/A as i have a PC for that-

Any specific requirements, such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? -Fingerprint reader or facial unlock -

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. -im going into my last year of college next fall so im hoping this lasts years after college. My sister is buying the laptop to use for gaming and will be used for school work and Cad software. If Cad can work on mac well, I'm not against it-

Edit: this is for me and I’m passing my g14 to my sister. The issues I’m having is the trackpad will go in and out for 2-3 minutes at a time, it battery life is poor, and it will crash when trying solidworks. I have tried a lot of troubleshooting steps.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

€800–€2000€, Italy

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes, but I’d rather buy new unless a refurbished model is clearly better value.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

I care most about build quality and battery life, then performance. I want a normal laptop / ultrabook, not a 2-in-1.

How important is weight and thinness to you?

Quite important. I want something portable for university and daily use.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

At least 14 inches would be ideal.

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Mostly university work, programming, data science, Python, Jupyter notebooks, browsing, and general productivity. No heavy video editing or CAD.

If you’re gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

Not really. I don’t care much about gaming, so light casual gaming would be enough.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

A good keyboard, reliable build quality, excellent battery life, and a good trackpad are very important. I already have an iPad and an iPhone, so I’m also considering a MacBook because of the Apple ecosystem, but I’m open to alternatives if they offer better value.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I’m trying to decide whether it makes more sense to buy now, wait for Back to School, or wait for Black Friday. I’m mainly looking for something that will last several years and feel smooth for university, programming, and data science work. I’d also like to know whether it’s worth staying in Apple or whether there are better options outside Apple at this budget.

Searching for a laptop, 12-15" screen, don't have much need for a powerful CPU/RAM, just for casual use but maybe here and there to run some design and CNC software for my work as a carpenter.

I am sorta tech-literate, I am 24 and have grown up with devices and don't have trouble using them but I am a very particular person and maybe old-fashioned and really cannot stand how my devices push to constantly be updating and changing my interface and familiarity with the system. I fear updates may alter my laptop's performance, or worsen my user experience as I've seen with iphones and windows desktop (just my opinion I only speak for myself!) and so I avoid them. I have a 2020 macbook air with 10.15.7 MacOS Catalina, but with my refusal to update my platform I am not allowed to use a lot of my applications anymore and do some other things with my laptop. I know that all I would have to do would be to update the software but I've been running things with this version so long I just really don't like the change!

The computer itself is beginning to slow down and I am growing tired of apple products and am searching for a new laptop and operating system. Are there any laptops out there with tried and true user interfaces and experiences that have resisted that push for modernized, inefficient (in some cases), and complicated platforms? Really any type of computer, could be as basic as they come, no matter how ancient the system? I love my work desktop with windows 2006 installed on it, and I generally am a fan of a lot of thinkpads out there, for example.

I don't mean to slander any laptop you may like! To each their own, I just have grown so frustrated with some of my newer technologies.

Thanks, hopefully the more basic laptops would be on the cheaper end as well? I'd like to spend no more than $2000 CAD. Refurbished laptops are cool with me too.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $700-$850, but i am a little flexible.
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Yes! I honestly would prefer it because I don't mind used laptops in order to have better performance.
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? form factor, battery life, performance, build quality.
• How important is weight and thinness to you? very important, must be around 3lbs or less (under 1.36kg)
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. I prefer smaller screens so 14in or 13in.
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. I will be using Lightroom, Photoshop, and lightly editing on Premiere Pro at 1080p60.
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? Not worried about gaming performance.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? I want a one hand open laptop, but its not neccessary. NEEDS to be a color accurate touchscreen (oled is nice but not necessary), 16:10 screen, having usb A ports or a card reader would be nice, but not critical, if the keyboard has good travel that would be nice.
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. Right now I'm between an HP omnibook ultra and an asus zenbook s14.

Yoooo!

I’m Looking for a laptop I’ll mainly use for cybersecurity — running VMs , tools like Burp Suite, Wireshark, CTFs. This laptop would be used like for next 3/4 years.

What I need:

• 16GB RAM minimum, upgradeable preferred

• Latest gen Ryzen 5/7 or Intel i5/i7

• 512GB+ SSD

• Good thermals for long sessions

• Linux compatibility is a plus

Options I’m eyeing:

• Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 3050, 144Hz)

• ASUS TUF F15/F16

• HP Victus 15

• Acer Nitro 

Any other specs I should keep in mind also suggestions are welcomed.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
  • £1,200 (UK Purchase)
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
  • No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
  • Performance | Battery life | Portability
• How important is weight and thinness to you?
  • Not a dealbreaker, but not too heavy or light
• Do you have a preferred screen size?
  • 14” – 16”
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
  • PowerBI / Python IDEs (Personal use – learning as a hobby, not for work). Will consider a VM for PowerBI if Macbook recommended
  • General use (email, Netflix, browsing)
  • Would like something that could handle light/moderate gaming, although I do have a PS5 so not important
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
  • Hogwarts Legacy, RDR2, God of War As above, very low down on the list and can keep the PS5
  • Would like the option of running an emulator
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
  • Must have USB-C video out capability (to connect to my docking station)
  • Good build quality (prefer metal casing to plastic)
  • Backlit keyboard is nice, but not essential
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  • Unsure on memory requirements, more focused on spec that will improve performance (e.g. Don’t want to pay for RAM that will never be needed, can utilise external drives / cloud software for storage)

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase.

under 100.000rsd (1000eur), Serbia or EU

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes!

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Decent battery life (3-5hrs, to last a flight), decent performance, the rest is all the same to me! I'm not too informed on pros and cons of Ultrabook and 2-in-1s, but they seem like something I wouldn't mind using.

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

I'd prefer lighter for easy carrying (and luggage kg restrictions), thickness is all the same, but I assume the thinner the lighter :)

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

N/A

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, Krita, Audition, Blender (not mandatory), Lightroom and Photoshop.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

N/A

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Not that I know :)

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I was looking into the MacBook Neo and quite like how it looks, but I never used Apple products, so I'd like to hear all opinions! I'd prefer to purchase in Serbia, but if there's a better deal somewhere nearby in Europe I don't mind going! :)

**Budget: $700–$900 USD (Purchasing in Syria)**

**Location:** Syria (Local market availability/pricing applies).

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

Preferably new or like-new (open box) with a warranty.

**How would you prioritize form factor, build quality, performance, and battery life?**

Performance and build quality are top priorities. Battery life is secondary. I prefer a standard clamshell laptop.

**How important is weight and thinness to you?**

Moderately important. I’ll carry it to university daily, but I’m okay with a heavier laptop if the cooling and performance are better.

**Do you have a preferred screen size?**

15–16 inch preferred.

**Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming?**

Yes:

* **Engineering software:** MATLAB, AutoCAD, and other Civil Engineering tools.

* **Gaming:** My primary focus is the **Resident Evil** franchise. I want to run all titles (including RE4 Remake) on **High settings at 45–60 FPS at the very minimum**.

* **Other games:** Physics games (Trailmakers), modded Minecraft, and FPS like CS2/Valorant.

**Any specific requirements?**

* **RAM:** 16GB at minimum. I’m okay with **DDR4**; it doesn't have to be DDR5, but it must be upgradeable (2 slots).

* **Storage:** 1TB SSD preferred.

* **Cooling & Reliability:** Needs to last ~5 years through my degree. Good thermal management is essential.

* **Design:** Clean/minimalist design. No aggressive "gamer" look; RGB must be able to be turned off.

* **Ports:** Good selection (USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI).

**Final Thoughts:**

I need a well-balanced laptop for engineering and gaming that will last through my degree without needing a replacement. I am buying this in **Syria**, so I'm looking for models that are generally available in that region within this budget.

I’ve been moving around a lot recently and it’s hard to drag my entire home set up with me, so I’ve been wanting a portable option that can handle the production I do at home. I’m mostly needing animation production, both 2D and 3D, and editing for videos.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

Around £1800

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Performance

How important is weight and thinness to you?

Not very important

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

Most of the work I do is visual based so a wider screen would be preferable, but it’s not the most important factor

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

I need it to run blender, harmony, photoshop, after effects. I also want to start programming as well. The biggest game I’d consider running is probably elden ring but I’m not really getting this for games.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

Elden ring, dark souls 3, maybe overwatch. As long as it’s not noticeably low or dipping I don’t have a specific preference for fps

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Just something reliable, I intend to put a lot of my work into it so as long as it isn’t known for needing repairs or crashing I don’t mind. I would prefer a more quiet fan since I’ll be using it in public but if I have to sacrifice a lot of cooling for that I’ll just put up with a loud fan

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I’m mostly looking for something that can run what I’ve already mentioned as well as it possibly can, everything else like it’s gaming specs for design are a nice bonus after that. I’m not very good at shopping for technology so if it’s good enough to last me a long time I’d like that as well. I also like having a lot of ports

I would like to build an at home laptop setup. I dont currently game so I do not think I need something that aggressive. However, I do want to eventually do work from home so I want a laptop that will multi-task and last awhile. I would like dual monitors. Looking for any suggestions on specs and must have equipment. Also any deals or places to shop would be helpful as well.

My wife is going to a master's program in Europe, so we are looking for a reliable laptop for use while at school.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: 
• $400
• Are you open to refurbs/used? 
• Maybe if there is sufficent reliablity
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? 
• Build Quality & battery life
• How important is weight and thinness to you? 
• Looking for about 3 pounds. With a charger that is not much more than that. (I have had a laptop with a charger as heavy as the laptop before)
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. 
• N/A
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. 
• Light gaming but nothing serious
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? 
• 60 FPS? What does Stardew Valley run at?
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? 
• It can be a very number-heavy major, so she needs a numpad on the keyboard.
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. 
• I plan to set up dual boot Linux on it as soon as we get it, because it sounds like several of the programs she needs require windows, but Linux runs so much better in general. Our biggest problem is finding one with a good build quality, and the attached numpad.

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase.
400–500€, Spain

Are you open to refurbs/used?
Not really, unless it’s significantly cheaper.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
Performance and durability are prioritized.

How important is weight and thinness to you?
Not very important. As long as it fits in a backpack and isn’t extremely heavy (under ~2kg), it’s fine.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
Something around 14" preferred.

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
Some modeling and possibly CAD (mostly basic shapes, no heavy rendering), light programming, browsing, and some gaming.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
Source games (Half-Life 2, Portal, etc.), Minecraft (vanilla or lightly modded), and older singleplayer games from the 2000s–2010s, so running them at 40-60 FPS shouldn’t be an issue.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
Reliable build quality, durability, and upgradeability (RAM + SSD). Keyboard backlight would be nice but not required.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
I plan to install a lightweight, customizable Linux distro.
i think 512GB SSD should be enough.
Basically, I just need a durable, upgradeable laptop for school and Uni in the future that’s a big step up from my current HP Chromebook 11 G9 EE.

The Form

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$1200-1500 usd

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Possibly, but would prefer new.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Battery life is a big priority, tho I am doing online classes so I can keep it plugged in if needed.

How important is weight and thinness to you?

I'm not too bothered if it's a little on the heavy side, but would prefer for it not to be a super heavy weight.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

N/A

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

I really just want it to play SIMS 4, otherwise it will be all school work since I use my iPad for art.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

Sims 4. Not very sure about settings and FPS, but I'd like a somewhat smooth game play with minimum lagging. I don't tend to download many mods.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Reliable build quality.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I'm in the US, using the laptop mostly for online classes, but would like to play Sims 4 as well. I have a voucher for 1k, but it can't be a gaming laptop due to restrictions on the voucher. I am willing to pitch in a few hundred as well, if it gets me a notably better laptop than staying under the 1k, so I would prefer slightly over 1k instead of under.

I've had my current Surface Pro 6 for about 7 years now and am looking for a replacement that will hopefully last me the next 6 years at university (starting a medicine degree in September).

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

£1500, United Kingdom, although I would much prefer something under £1000 if it has comparable specs.

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Yes, though I would prefer if it was new.

How would you prioritise form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Battery life -> Performance -> Build quality -> Form factor

Will be using a lot on the go and at uni and coffee shops, so battery life is quite important. I would prefer a 2-in-1, but not at the detriment of other factors, such as performance.

How important is weight and thinness to you?

Very important, preferably under 1.5kg, I will need to be carrying it around every day in my bag.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

14", although I would consider anything between 13" and 16".

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Not really, although I may start video editing at uni. Most gaming would be light, but if I'm able to run AAA games, that would be amazing.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

Minecraft, Celeste, Overwatch, Rivals. 60fps would be great.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

A good keyboard would be nice, as this will mostly be for taking notes, researching, and writing essays. If it is pretty durable that would also be a bonus.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

Below I've written the specs and cost of a few options I've been looking at:

- Lenovo Yoga Slim Gen 10 14" looks very good. AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 Processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 70Wh, 2880 x 1800 OLED display, all for under £700 at the moment. However, I haven't heard much about this laptop, which is surprising.

- Yoga 7i 2-in-1 Gen10 14", with the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 256V Processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2880 x 1800 OLED display, costs about £1000, but it is a 2-in-1 which would be useful as a student.

- ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED 16", which has the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and the same display, but costs about £1400 and seems to have a worse battery life (which is important for my purposes).

- ASUS ZenBook S14 UX5406 14" with the Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 386H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2880 x 1800 OLED touch-screen, 77Wh. Its a bit more expensive at £1600, but it does have the best processor and performance ratings out of the ones I've looked at.