Suggestions for an ultrabook are provided.
Suggestions for an ultrabook are provided.
Hi,
My name is Thomas and I'm new here. I'm relatively tech-savvy and understand the lingo. There are just so many laptop options I'm struggling to pick the right one for me.
1. What is your budget?
~$1,500
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
13-14''
3. What screen resolution do you want?
1080p+. Can't lie I do like the ones that are kind of in between 1080p and 4k.
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Portable.
I have a Lenovo X1 Extreme from 2019 that I bought as a desktop replacement. Still holding up great but it's a bit bulky and when the time comes I'll replace it with a beast desktop, but not quite there yet. It has an i7H, 16gb RAM, and 516gb storage and is still pretty quick on everything.
5. How much battery life do you need?
8-10+ hours. The more the merrier of course as I'll be traveling with it at times.
6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Generally no, and if ever, they would be on the casual end of the spectrum.
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
I work for a virtual CPA firm and am the head of marketing. Most of my work is cloud-based and I host many meetings/events via Zoom and similar platforms.
I typically delegate video and photo editing, however, there are limited cases where I need to jump in and do it myself.
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
516gb +
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
N/A
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
~2-3 years. Lenovo X1 Extreme from 2019 still holding up like a champ nearly 3 years later.
11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
None. Didn't know this was still an option these days haha.
12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
I prefer Lenovo, Dell, or HP as they have treated me well in the past in terms of performance, durability, aesthetics, and keyboard (hard to beat Lenovo there). But it doesn't have to be from these brands.
I've been considering the Dell XPS 13 Plus (not a huge fan of the lack of a visual trackpad), Lenovo X1 Carbon, Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon, Asus Zenbook S (seems to be a lot of value in this one for the price), and potentially the MS Surface Laptop 5 when it drops later this month.
13. What country do you live in?
US
14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
This laptop will be a secondary machine that I'll use for the following:
Around the house laptop
Travel laptop - may need to host meetings while I'm traveling so a good built-in webcam is ideal
Back up for if the main goes down I can still work while I wait for the replacement.
I'd just buy the Lenovo X1 Carbon and call it a day but I'm finding it hard to justify an additional $300 - $500+ over some of the other options given this will be a secondary PC and not my primary. From a tech perspective, I'm thinking an Intel i7 or AMD equivalent (could settle for an i5 in the worst case), 16gb RAM, and 512gb storage, unless everyone believes its unnecessary.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
I believe I have narrowed it to just two laptops:
Zenbook S 13 OLED
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 Intel
The Zenbook costs $1518 whereas the ThinkPad with similar features is $1877.
Is the ThinkPad worth another $350 or more for these scenarios?
Around the house laptop
Travel laptop – may require hosting meetings while I travel, so a solid built-in webcam is perfect
Backup option so I can continue working if the main one fails, allowing me to wait for the replacement.
I’ll check out the MS Surface Laptop 5 tomorrow when it’s released, but at the moment these two seem like the top choices.
The choice really hinges on your main priorities, both models are excellent laptops.
Zenbook S offers superior speed and stability during long tasks, a powerful GPU, and an OLED display ideal for entertainment.
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 provides a better keyboard and trackpad, enhanced webcam quality, longer battery life (8 hours 58 minutes vs 7 hours 10 minutes), no risk of OLED damage, and a spill-resistant keyboard.
If gaming performance and the OLED screen matter most, I’d pick the Zenbook S. For a balanced work and play experience, the Thinkpad X1 is the better choice.
Thank you for this. Right now I’m leaning toward the Zenbook because it looks like a better value. While I really like Lenovo, I’m finding it hard to justify the $300–$500+ premium for a second laptop. The OLED burn-in concern is probably the main issue, especially since battery life reviews seem mixed between the two models.
I think it's a solid all-round option. It performs well as a reliable daily tool, though it comes at a higher cost compared to other models. If you prefer Lenovo products, the X1 would be ideal. A T14 model is available for $1,352.50, offering an i5 1235U processor, 16GB RAM with one free slot, and a 1TB SSD. That could deter some buyers. While I appreciate OLED displays, I wouldn't recommend them for daily use due to heat concerns. However, there are ways to reduce the impact—lowering brightness helps since it's more about heat. Asus provides software options like pixel shift that can assist. Turning off the screen after a brief period is a smart practice. Overall, it requires more attention compared to IPS panels, but if used for shorter sessions rather than long hours, the chances of issues should be lower. Battery performance is uncertain, but the X1's CPU seems more efficient. OLED screens, on the other hand, vary in power consumption.
Thank you for the assistance. It’s important to consider things in context.
I purchased a Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 10 from the factory outlet for $1,110. Through some investigation, I discovered that these models are frequently returned and cannot be sold as new, which made the price seem attractive.
For others reading this, I chose the X1 Carbon instead of the Zenbook S 13 OLED because, although I was impressed with the Zenbook, its primary use would be for work tasks. The IPS display, 1080p webcam, USB A and HDMI ports, solid build quality, and the $1100 price point made the X1 a clear choice.
If the intended use had been more general or multimedia-oriented, I would have opted for the Zenbook, as I was very impressed and almost decided to buy it, but the OLED burn-in issue raised concerns for a laptop meant for professional work.
It came in two days ago and I'm only starting to work on it today. It's hard to tell if it's new or not. I'll share again if things change, but for now I'm satisfied with the X1 and believe I made the best decision for its purpose. It remains light and easy to carry.