My next PC

Onkel Neal · 04-12-14, 05:01 PM

Since I have gone mobile as a truck driver (in Green Bay one day, Alabama the next), my next PC will be a laptop. I've got and had laptops before but mainly budget models, as I did all my website work on my gaming desktop.

I am leaning toward the Carbon X1 from Lenovo.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-...carbon-review/

I like the HDMI out port, backlit keyboard, SSD hard drive, and bluetooth for my mouse.

Any pros or cons? It does not have a dedicated grfx card, apparently that is not possible with ultr books, so I will have to live with no hard core gaming. It's not like I have a lot of time to play games these days anyway

But you can't guess what mah favorite feature is....

Sailor Steve · 04-12-14, 05:08 PM

You like having the Backspace and Delete keys touching each other, because it makes life more interesting.

the_tyrant · 04-12-14, 06:50 PM

In my opinion, it is quite decent. But hey, if all you want to do is play silent hunter, the integrated graphics should be more than enough. Intel HD 4400/5000 is surprisingly good.

The keyboard change however, is atrocious. I much prefer the old classic thinkpad keyboard over the new one.

If you would like more powerful gaming, consider this model: https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultra...pecifications/

It is one of the few ultrabooks with dedicated graphics.

Onkel Neal · 04-12-14, 08:20 PM

Yeah, I like that ASUS, for me a smaller screen is more desirable. You would pick it over the Lenova?

CaptainHaplo · 08-12-14, 04:46 AM

We are a Lenovo shop for our laptop users. I have to say, the T440 is a good little machine. I prefer the T430 simply because of the greater HD space (the 440 is SSD, the 430 isn't) and the lid latch. I have a 410, 430 and 440 - the 410 and 440 are work machines, the 430 is much more my "game" machine simply because of space.

My only concern recommending the 440 besides space - is the fact that the 410 - 430 all used the same chassis. Issues with the 410 were ameliorated with the 420/430 - so its a solid chassis with no issues. The 410's had cooling fan and docking port plug problems in many of ours. Those are no longer an issue with the later models using the same chassis. The 440 uses an entirely new chassis - so I am somewhat concerned to see how steady the fan and dock port are long term. Oh - and the 440 can't support a built in CD/DVD drive - you have to get a USB one (which is a good idea anyway).

Note that the T420 and above does come with an Nvidia chipset - so "integrated" graphics are still very good. Just max out your ram and if going 440 - disk as well.

Onkel Neal · 08-26-14, 12:16 PM

Thanks, Cap. I am still flogging my Dell Inspiron. Hard to believe I bought this thing for college, that was 5 years ago.

I've got the itch for one of those machines you described, I'm just hesitant to spend the money.

Threadfin · 10-03-14, 02:38 PM

I know this is an older thread and perhaps you've already pulled the trigger Neal. I also wanted to get a great gaming laptop for various reasons. I have been building my own desktops for years, but I ended up getting a laptop from xoticpc.com

The one I had built was not cheap, but runs everything at everything on. What I liked about this company was the number of hardware options, they aren't exclusively AMD or Intel, or nVidia or ATi.

I had it built a year ago August.

Basic specs are:

Sager/Clevo P370SM3 chassis (17" screen, backlit board, every port you can think of)
i7 4700 MQ
16 GB RAM
nVidia GTX 780M
1 TB Crucial SSD
Win 7

Again, not cheap, a couple bills, but that's what I wanted and the company was excellent and I recommend them.

Onkel Neal · 10-04-14, 09:50 PM

Thanks for sharing. I am still soldiering on with my old laptop, but I am edging closer to getting a replacement. Capt. Halpo has been helping me with some ideas, too. Your custom job sounds ideal. I may want to aim for a smaller screen, but perhaps that would affect the overall performance options, too small = limited hardware....

Threadfin · 10-05-14, 08:01 AM

Hey no problem Neal, and I had a quick look at the 15" laptops and the hardware options are the same as the 17" so I don't think that going a little smaller will have any effect on the options you choose, but it might depend on which chassis is chosen, as some will be a little larger or smaller, or have different internal arrangements.

After having another look at their site though, I do not see Ati and AMD options any more, so that looks to have changed.

Onkel Neal · 01-06-15, 07:04 PM

How about this baby, looks like an 11" laptop but with a 13" screen. Supposed to be really bright, which is something my current Dell is not. It has a solid state driver and backlit keyboard....

Quote:

5th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-5200U Processor (3M Cache, up to 2.70 GHz)

Is that a decent cpu? I have gotten quite out of the loop...

Laptop of dreams? http://gizmodo.com/dells-new-xps-13-...ams-1677342235

.

CaptainHaplo · 01-06-15, 10:18 PM

The CPU is solid. Don't go for less than 8G of Ram. Looks like the biggest HD you can get is 256G - still kinda small. I would avoid the touchscreen version unless you really, really want one. Remember - screen may be bright but will you see it through all the fingerprints - and its one more point of failure.

I would really check with them via phone if you want that one and see if you can't upgrade the HD to a 512G. Other than that - its a solid machine on paper. You should really go look at one to make sure your comfortable with the chassis feel.

Onkel Neal · 01-07-15, 10:23 AM

Good idea. I can live with a 256 GB HD. I usually store big files on an external HD. I agree about the touchscreen. Don't want one at all. I will see where I can put my hands on a demo.

Onkel Neal · 01-11-15, 10:43 AM

When Windows 10 is available, I'm getting it. Final.

Herr-Berbunch · 01-11-15, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I agree about the touchscreen. Don't want one at all.

I've spent a couple of days this week giving some Surface Pro 3 tablets a blast, great machines but I wouldn't recommend one because of the price (but screen is amazing). I'm here to say that you shouldn't dismiss touch screens completely, when I went back to my laptop I found myself occasionally trying to touch the screen because it really was so much more convenient.

Onkel Neal · 01-17-15, 08:53 AM

I hear you. I like touch screens on my phone and Kindle, but that's because they really aren't suited for a mouse. I do a lot of copy/pasting, it is a lot easier with a mouse.

04-12-14, 05:01 PM	#1
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	My next PC Since I have gone mobile as a truck driver (in Green Bay one day, Alabama the next), my next PC will be a laptop. I've got and had laptops before but mainly budget models, as I did all my website work on my gaming desktop. I am leaning toward the Carbon X1 from Lenovo. http://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-...carbon-review/ I like the HDMI out port, backlit keyboard, SSD hard drive, and bluetooth for my mouse. Any pros or cons? It does not have a dedicated grfx card, apparently that is not possible with ultr books, so I will have to live with no hard core gaming. It's not like I have a lot of time to play games these days anyway But you can't guess what mah favorite feature is....

04-12-14, 05:08 PM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	You like having the Backspace and Delete keys touching each other, because it makes life more interesting. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

04-12-14, 06:50 PM	#3
the_tyrant Admiral Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 2,272 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	In my opinion, it is quite decent. But hey, if all you want to do is play silent hunter, the integrated graphics should be more than enough. Intel HD 4400/5000 is surprisingly good. The keyboard change however, is atrocious. I much prefer the old classic thinkpad keyboard over the new one. If you would like more powerful gaming, consider this model: https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultra...pecifications/ It is one of the few ultrabooks with dedicated graphics. __________________ My own open source project on Sourceforge OTP.net KGB grade encryption for the rest of us

04-12-14, 08:20 PM	#4
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Yeah, I like that ASUS, for me a smaller screen is more desirable. You would pick it over the Lenova? __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

08-12-14, 04:46 AM	#5
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	We are a Lenovo shop for our laptop users. I have to say, the T440 is a good little machine. I prefer the T430 simply because of the greater HD space (the 440 is SSD, the 430 isn't) and the lid latch. I have a 410, 430 and 440 - the 410 and 440 are work machines, the 430 is much more my "game" machine simply because of space. My only concern recommending the 440 besides space - is the fact that the 410 - 430 all used the same chassis. Issues with the 410 were ameliorated with the 420/430 - so its a solid chassis with no issues. The 410's had cooling fan and docking port plug problems in many of ours. Those are no longer an issue with the later models using the same chassis. The 440 uses an entirely new chassis - so I am somewhat concerned to see how steady the fan and dock port are long term. Oh - and the 440 can't support a built in CD/DVD drive - you have to get a USB one (which is a good idea anyway). Note that the T420 and above does come with an Nvidia chipset - so "integrated" graphics are still very good. Just max out your ram and if going 440 - disk as well. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

08-26-14, 12:16 PM	#6
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Thanks, Cap. I am still flogging my Dell Inspiron. Hard to believe I bought this thing for college, that was 5 years ago. I've got the itch for one of those machines you described, I'm just hesitant to spend the money. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

10-03-14, 02:38 PM	#7
Threadfin Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,163 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	I know this is an older thread and perhaps you've already pulled the trigger Neal. I also wanted to get a great gaming laptop for various reasons. I have been building my own desktops for years, but I ended up getting a laptop from xoticpc.com The one I had built was not cheap, but runs everything at everything on. What I liked about this company was the number of hardware options, they aren't exclusively AMD or Intel, or nVidia or ATi. I had it built a year ago August. Basic specs are: Sager/Clevo P370SM3 chassis (17" screen, backlit board, every port you can think of) i7 4700 MQ 16 GB RAM nVidia GTX 780M 1 TB Crucial SSD Win 7 Again, not cheap, a couple bills, but that's what I wanted and the company was excellent and I recommend them. __________________ What? Behind the rabbit? Last edited by Threadfin; 10-03-14 at 03:03 PM.

10-04-14, 09:50 PM	#8
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Thanks for sharing. I am still soldiering on with my old laptop, but I am edging closer to getting a replacement. Capt. Halpo has been helping me with some ideas, too. Your custom job sounds ideal. I may want to aim for a smaller screen, but perhaps that would affect the overall performance options, too small = limited hardware.... __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

10-05-14, 08:01 AM	#9
Threadfin Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,163 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Hey no problem Neal, and I had a quick look at the 15" laptops and the hardware options are the same as the 17" so I don't think that going a little smaller will have any effect on the options you choose, but it might depend on which chassis is chosen, as some will be a little larger or smaller, or have different internal arrangements. After having another look at their site though, I do not see Ati and AMD options any more, so that looks to have changed. __________________ What? Behind the rabbit?

01-06-15, 10:18 PM	#11
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	The CPU is solid. Don't go for less than 8G of Ram. Looks like the biggest HD you can get is 256G - still kinda small. I would avoid the touchscreen version unless you really, really want one. Remember - screen may be bright but will you see it through all the fingerprints - and its one more point of failure. I would really check with them via phone if you want that one and see if you can't upgrade the HD to a 512G. Other than that - its a solid machine on paper. You should really go look at one to make sure your comfortable with the chassis feel. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

01-07-15, 10:23 AM	#12
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Good idea. I can live with a 256 GB HD. I usually store big files on an external HD. I agree about the touchscreen. Don't want one at all. I will see where I can put my hands on a demo. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

01-11-15, 10:43 AM	#13
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	When Windows 10 is available, I'm getting it. Final. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

01-17-15, 08:53 AM	#15
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	I hear you. I like touch screens on my phone and Kindle, but that's because they really aren't suited for a mouse. I do a lot of copy/pasting, it is a lot easier with a mouse. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web