You seem unsure about purchasing a laptop, need some assistance.
You seem unsure about purchasing a laptop, need some assistance.
Hi everyone
I’m thinking about buying a laptop for my wife. She attends university and mainly uses apps like Office and Chrome, along with other simple tools for research, writing essays, and similar tasks. I want something reliable that lasts a long time so we don’t have to replace it every 5 or 10 years.
I’m in Asia, so prices vary, but here are two options I’m considering:
A. IdeaPad 5 15ITL05-A
B. Asus Zenbook 14
For her, I need laptops with at least these features:
- RAM: 16GB
- CPU: Intel Core i7 1165G7 or similar without an integrated GPU (since it would be slower)
- GPU: At least 450
- Storage: 512GB or 1TB (either SSD or hybrid)
Thanks!
I notice many HP "FHD" business laptops equipped with the 1165 G7 CPU. I don’t have much experience with them, but they’re priced around 700 dollars US, similar to the Ideapad and Zenbook you referenced.
I’d definitely want to skip a hybrid drive.
The 1165 G7 offers a solid performance with 4 cores and 8 threads, scoring 2864 on Passmark single-thread tests.
If your usage is mainly for Office tasks, a less powerful CPU should suffice. This could help you enhance other aspects of the laptop within the same budget—like a better display, improved keyboard, or longer battery life, etc. Just an idea.
I’d also like to see her try out some of these models for a short time, especially since keyboard feel and screen quality are so important for satisfaction.
You mentioned having a 15" and 14" laptop, so does she require portability? The Ryzen processors are more powerful since they feature 6 and 8 cores instead of 4. Keep in mind that 11th generation CPUs will likely be updated to 12th generation soon, but the 1165g7 remains quite capable for everyday tasks. Based on the two models you have, I would recommend the Zenbook, though this is just a personal choice.
why hybrids are not suggested
regarding the cpu, i updated my post and prefer a non-igpu cpu so the laptop can have a dedicated gpu like mx 450 but stronger, such as i5 12450h, which might be stronger than 1165g7.
what laptop offers better components at a lower cpu?
They aren't necessary because they're significantly slower than SSDs, consume more power, and are more likely to fail due to the HDD part. With today's prices for SSDs, it doesn't make sense to use them in modern laptops, and I doubt you'll find one easily. Can I ask why you need a separate GPU?
The 12450h performs better than the 11365g in terms of power usage and features. It offers eight cores and twelve threads, making it more capable than what is typically required for office tasks. Laptops are generally not tailored to individual needs, so you must balance priorities based on what matters most. Consider aspects like non-igpu configuration, storage type, CPU strength versus display quality, storage size versus keyboard comfort or battery life, and so on. It’s wise to test before purchasing. The challenge lies in choosing a model with lower CPU power but superior other specifications, as a weaker CPU might still suffice for office work while offering better performance elsewhere. There are no specific recommendations at this time.
For everyday office tasks a GPU won't make much difference but will drain the battery quickly.
I run an i7-1165G7 with an MX350. Besides speeding up web browsing, it's mostly idle. The main issue is early problems with the Iris Xe drivers (I haven't confirmed if they've been resolved). Certain videos and ads would cause a black screen that disappeared once the offending content was scrolled away. Apart from this minor hiccup, it's a fully functional office machine. No problems with complex calculations in Excel and I have no complaints about the rest of the Office applications.
by hybrid i mean for example 1tb hhd + 256gb ssd
windows will be installed on ssd to have faster loads and etc. but other files will be saved on hhd, i think that's a good way to save up money and spend on other components, what do you think?
idk, maybe in future she'd play games or do some graphical thing with the laptop ( or I'd do, I don't know), but if there is any other option which has igpu but no dedicated gpu and has better other components i would go with that
It could be relevant whether she carries it for an hour each day instead of just three minutes daily.