Question confused buying laptop , help me

[troyer1234567]

hi eveyone
i wanna buy a loptop for my wife
she goes to university and only app she use is Office lol, but i want to buy her a good laptop to last for many years so we wouldn't have to buy a new one like in 5 or maybe 10 years as she uses simple apps like Office and Chrome and anything related to researching or writing essays or sth like that for university.
I live in Asia so prices are different but i give u an example of how much i can pay, here are 2 options i have under consideration:
A. IdeaPad 5 15ITL05-A
B.Asus Zenbook 14

I want laptops with AT LEAST these specs:
Ram: 16gb
Cpu: Intel core i7 1165g7 or a cpu with no Igpu as i it would have mx 450 or another gpu(I don't know about ryzen cpus on laptop, i think 5500u and 5700u are better than 1165g7 but I'm not sure which laptop with close or same price has this laptop)
Gpu: MX 450 (idk mx 350 is close to 450 or not)
Storage: 512gb or 1TB (SSD or Hybrid)

THANKS

 

[Lafong]

I see several HP "FHD" business laptops with the 1165 G7 CPU, but I have no experience with them. They are around 700 dollars US, about the same price as the Ideapad and Zenbook you mentioned.

I would certainly try to avoid a hybrid drive.

The 1165 G7 is a relatively strong CPU, with 4 cores and 8 threads. Passmark single thread benchmark score 2864.

If all she does is Office, you should be OK with a less powerful CPU. That might allow you to improve the laptop in other areas for the same budget.....better display, better keyboard, longer battery life, etc. Just a thought.

I'd certainly try to let her actually use the candidates for a few minutes at least because keyboard feel and display are so critical to satisfaction.

 

[Nighthawk117]

hi eveyone
i wanna buy a loptop for my wife
she goes to university and only app she use is Office lol, but i want to buy her a good laptop to last for many years so we wouldn't have to buy a new one like in 5 or maybe 10 years as she uses simple apps like Office and Chrome and anything related to researching or writing essays or sth like that for university.
I live in Asia so prices are different but i give u an example of how much i can pay, here are 2 options i have under consideration:
A. IdeaPad 5 15ITL05-A
B.Asus Zenbook 14

I want laptops with AT LEAST these specs:
Ram: 16gb
Cpu: Intel core i7 1165g7 (I don't know about ryzen cpus on laptop, i think 5500u and 5700u are better than 1165g7 but I'm not sure which laptop with close or same price has this laptop)
Gpu: MX 450 (idk mx 350 is close to 450 or not)
Storage: 512gb or 1TB (SSD or Hybrid)

THANKS

You have a 15" and 14" laptop there, does she need portability? The Ryzen CPU's are more powerful because they have 6 and 8 cores instead of 4. You should be aware that 11th gen CPU's will be refreshed for 12th gen at some point in the near future but the 1165g7 is still a relatively capable CPU for general use. From the two laptops you have there I would go with the Zenbook, but that's personal preference.

 

[troyer1234567]

I see several HP "FHD" business laptops with the 1165 G7 CPU, but I have no experience with them. They are around 700 dollars US, about the same price as the Ideapad and Zenbook you mentioned.

I would certainly try to avoid a hybrid drive.

The 1165 G7 is a relatively strong CPU, with 4 cores and 8 threads. Passmark single thread benchmark score 2864.

If all she does is Office, you should be OK with a less powerful CPU. That might allow you to improve the laptop in other areas for the same budget.....better display, better keyboard, longer battery life, etc. Just a thought.

I'd certainly try to let her actually use the candidates for a few minutes at least because keyboard feel and display are so critical to satisfaction.

why hybrids are not recommended?

about cpu, i edited my post, i prefer a non-igpu cpu as i want the laptop to have a dedicated gpu like mx 450 but stronger, like i5 12450h , if I'm not wrong it's stronger than 1165g7

what laptop has lower cpu than these ones but better other components?

 

[Nighthawk117]

why hybrids are not recommended?

You don't want a hybrid drive, they are a lot slower than SSD's, use more power and are more prone to damage due to the HDD component. They make no sense today given the price of SSD's, I think you will struggle to find one in a modern laptop though.

about cpu, i edited my post, i prefer a non-igpu cpu as i want the laptop to have a dedicated gpu like mx 450 but stronger, like i5 12450h , if I'm not wrong it's stronger than 1165g7

Can I ask why you want a dedicated GPU?

 

[Lafong]

The 12450h is considerably stronger than 11365g.

12450h consumes more power, has 8 cores and 12 threads.

Both would have more strength than needed for Office.

Laptops cannot be configured to your specific requirements. You have to compromise based on what is most important to you.

Is non-igpu more important than storage amount and type?

Is CPU strength more important than display quality?

Is storage space more important than keyboard feel or battery life?

And so forth. That's why wife should ideally try before buying.

You ask "what laptop has lower cpu than these ones but better other components?"........the problem is any laptop with a lower CPU (but still easily enough for Office) may also have inferior graphics, inferior storage, inferior keyboard, etc.

So you could be forced into a CPU that is much more powerful than you need just to get better other components that you do want.

I don't have any specific recommendations.

 

[Eximo]

For basic office use a GPU isn't going to do much but eat into battery life.

I use an i7-1165G7 with an MX350. Aside from using the MX350 to accelerate web browsing, it mostly sits idle. And the only reason for that is an early issue with the Iris Xe drivers (I haven't checked to see if it has been fixed) Certain video content and advertisements would cause a black screen that would go away once the offending video or ad was scrolled off the screen. Other than that little problem, it is a perfectly capable office machine. No issues number crunching in Excel and I have zero complaints on the rest of the Office suite.

 

[troyer1234567]

You have a 15" and 14" laptop there, does she need portability? The Ryzen CPU's are more powerful because they have 6 and 8 cores instead of 4. You should be aware that 11th gen CPU's will be refreshed for 12th gen at some point in the near future but the 1165g7 is still a relatively capable CPU for general use. From the two laptops you have there I would go with the Zenbook, but that's personal preference.

what does that "portability" mean? if light weighting yeah, i don't wanna get something heavy as i want it for my wife. btw I don't want the screen to be smaller than 14"

 

[troyer1234567]

You don't want a hybrid drive, they are a lot slower than SSD's, use more power and are more prone to damage due to the HDD component. They make no sense today given the price of SSD's, I think you will struggle to find one in a modern laptop though.


Can I ask why you want a dedicated GPU?

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

 

[Lafong]

what does that "portability" mean? if light weighting yeah, i don't wanna get something heavy as i want it for my wife. btw I don't want the screen to be smaller than 14"

It might matter if she would be carrying it an hour a day rather than 3 minutes a day.

Many people use laptops that are rarely moved. They sit on a desk nearly all the time and weight is of almost no importance.

 

[troyer1234567]

The 12450h is considerably stronger than 11365g.

12450h consumes more power, has 8 cores and 12 threads.

Both would have more strength than needed for Office.

Laptops cannot be configured to your specific requirements. You have to compromise based on what is most important to you.

Is non-igpu more important than storage amount and type?

Is CPU strength more important than display quality?

Is storage space more important than keyboard feel or battery life?

And so forth. That's why wife should ideally try before buying.

You ask "what laptop has lower cpu than these ones but better other components?"........the problem is any laptop with a lower CPU (but still easily enough for Office) may also have inferior graphics, inferior storage, inferior keyboard, etc.

So you could be forced into a CPU that is much more powerful than you need just to get better other components that you do want.

I don't have any specific recommendations.

keyboard feel, battery life, screen quality and storage are superior to others, then there is cpu, and in the end is gpu.

first i was looking for something with Touch screen so she don't have to use mouse and keyboard but i found them so expensive

 

[troyer1234567]

It might matter if she would be carrying it an hour a day rather than 3 minutes a day.

Many people use laptops that are rarely moved. They sit on a desk nearly all the time and weight is of almost no importance.

weight is important to her, she wants something light

 

[Nighthawk117]

what does that "portability" mean? if light weighting yeah, i don't wanna get something heavy as i want it for my wife. btw I don't want the screen to be smaller than 14"

I mean is this a laptop that will be carried around on a regular basis in a backpack. If the answer is yes then I would recommend a 14" laptop not a 15.6", a Zenbook 14" is very easy to carry around on a daily basis.

 

[geofelt]

If you can, go and look at some of your buying options.
Failing that, read a review from one of the ultrabook review sites.

The quality of the display makes a big difference.
You may want more than 1080P resolution.
Look at the monitor specs carefully. An inexpensive monitor will have a brightness of only 250nits.
Brighter is better. Look for 300 nits on up to 500 nits.


The key to performance for your workload will be the presence of a SSD vs. a HDD. It makes all the difference in the world.

Integrated graphics is fine for all cases except fast action gaming.
HD movie playback and youtube videos will work well.
Dedicated graphics increases cost, heat, and will reduce run time.

Some small and light laptops will have soldered chips for ram so verify that you have 16gb in dual channel mode.

Any modern processor will do the job. Do not obsess on fast performance.

I would highly suggest a Lenovo thinkpad, primarily because of the superior keyboard.

 

[Nighthawk117]

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

Oh I see you mean two drives. I still wouldn't bother though, as before hard drives are easier to damage if the laptop is being carried around and they will drain the battery a little quicker. I would simply upgrade the SSD at a later date to something larger. Or if the laptop can take more than one SSD just put the cheapest one you can find in there. Even 1TB drives are fairly affordable these days.

The MX450 GPU you mentioned before is very entry level. It can play a large number of older and less demanding titles quite well but is no substitute for the GPU's that you would find in a gaming laptop if your target is the latest games.

 

[Nighthawk117]

I agree with @geofelt on the Thinkpads, the T series particularly is a good quality and reliable laptop if you can afford one. I don't think you should be concerned with screen resolution beyond 1080p if your getting a laptop less than 15.6". In terms of displays, the things to look out for are good coverage of the sRGB colour space and good contrast. On the laptops you mention both have decent IPS displays for general use. The Asus Zenbook is the better of the two with complete coverage of sRGB.

I would recommend Notebookcheck.com for in depth reviews on laptops, they cover things like display quality.

 

[troyer1234567]

I mean is this a laptop that will be carried around on a regular basis in a backpack. If the answer is yes then I would recommend a 14" laptop not a 15.6", a Zenbook 14" is very easy to carry around on a daily basis.

according to your explanation the 15.6" is fine

 

[troyer1234567]

If you can, go and look at some of your buying options.
Failing that, read a review from one of the ultrabook review sites.

The quality of the display makes a big difference.
You may want more than 1080P resolution.
Look at the monitor specs carefully. An inexpensive monitor will have a brightness of only 250nits.
Brighter is better. Look for 300 nits on up to 500 nits.


The key to performance for your workload will be the presence of a SSD vs. a HDD. It makes all the difference in the world.

Integrated graphics is fine for all cases except fast action gaming.
HD movie playback and youtube videos will work well.
Dedicated graphics increases cost, heat, and will reduce run time.

Some small and light laptops will have soldered chips for ram so verify that you have 16gb in dual channel mode.

Any modern processor will do the job. Do not obsess on fast performance.

I would highly suggest a Lenovo thinkpad, primarily because of the superior keyboard.

thanks
how can i know which keyboard is fine ? what's the main features of laptap keyboard?

 

[troyer1234567]

Oh I see you mean two drives. I still wouldn't bother though, as before hard drives are easier to damage if the laptop is being carried around and they will drain the battery a little quicker. I would simply upgrade the SSD at a later date to something larger. Or if the laptop can take more than one SSD just put the cheapest one you can find in there. Even 1TB drives are fairly affordable these days.

The MX450 GPU you mentioned before is very entry level. It can play a large number of older and less demanding titles quite well but is no substitute for the GPU's that you would find in a gaming laptop if your target is the latest games.

no my target is not gaming at all, i just wanted a "not bad gpu" , i have vega 11 on my pc and it's totally fine, so i think mx 450 would be fine too.

 

[troyer1234567]

I agree with @geofelt on the Thinkpads, the T series particularly is a good quality and reliable laptop if you can afford one. I don't think you should be concerned with screen resolution beyond 1080p if your getting a laptop less than 15.6". In terms of displays, the things to look out for are good coverage of the sRGB colour space and good contrast. On the laptops you mention both have decent IPS displays for general use. The Asus Zenbook is the better of the two with complete coverage of sRGB.

I would recommend Notebookcheck.com for in depth reviews on laptops, they cover things like display quality.

yeah thank u
so don't you recommend 15.6" screen with resolution higher than 1080p?

 

[Nighthawk117]

no my target is not gaming at all, i just wanted a "not bad gpu" , i have vega 11 on my pc and it's totally fine, so i think mx 450 would be fine too.

The Iris Xe GPU is perfectly capable for ordinary tasks and can also play some older titles, an Nvidia GPU is nice to have but I wouldn't necessarily let it put you off a laptop if your not concerned about gaming.

 

[Nighthawk117]

yeah thank u
so don't you recommend 15.6" screen with resolution higher than 1080p?

I think a higher resolution than 1080p on a 15.6" laptop is nice to have. 1080p wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, and certainly wouldn't on a laptop with a 14" screen.

 

[Nighthawk117]

according to your explanation the 15.6" is fine

How often will the laptop be carried around?

 

[troyer1234567]

How often will the laptop be carried around?

somedays she may take it to university
other times she would use it at home

 

[troyer1234567]

I think a higher resolution than 1080p on a 15.6" laptop is nice to have. 1080p wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, and certainly wouldn't on a laptop with a 14" screen.

can u recommend me some laptops with same or close price to the ones i mentioned but with higher resolution, I don't mind if the cpu is weaker