looking for some good laptop to buy soon (for college and software development)

[yehiambenshushan]

Hello everyone!
First of all, I must say - I live in Israel and so I'll ask you to recommend me a laptop from sites that I'll give here. now, the prices in those sites are Israeli Shekels. so I appreciate if you just limit the search to 3000 shekels (basically it's about 850 u.s dollars) - I cant purchase from amazon because I need both Hebrew and English keyboard (which the laptops in Israel have)
I know this is a bit unusual but I really need you to help

link to the first site (after you entered the site click on the icon of u.s flag in the upper left side for English). you can limit the price tag and filter the results on the left side of the page

מחשבים ניידים - || KSP.co.il

מחשבים ניידים - קונים ב-KSP

ksp.co.il

the second site (doesn't support English so you don't have to use it)
https://www.ivory.co.il/catalog.php?act=cat&id=2590&toPrice=3065


1. What is your budget? 850$ = 3000 ILS

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? thinking about 15.6 but it is not a deal-breaker for me.

3. What screen resolution do you want? FHD or above

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? Just Laptop

5. How much battery life do you need? the bigger the better - ill need it for everyday student life

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? Nope

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? Mainly software development and programming, some videos and movies to watch for fun, some 4k youtube videos (watching, not making)

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? I really don't know, I need a main SSD for the speed. and I'm pretty sure every laptop now has both SSD and HDD

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
https://ksp.co.il/?select=.268..271...ice=3000&intersect=..&rintersect=&store_real=

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? around 5 years. I need it to be future proof and strong as possible

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? no need for that

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. really have no clue, you guys know better than me

13. What country do you live in? Israel

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed.
So I'm going to study software development for 2 years. and I need a strong laptop with great battery and comfortable keyboard, also I want it to last as much as possible, I want it to be daily driver laptop for all my tasking (which are no gaming or video editing, etc). and of course, weight is also a key factor student

 

[velocityg4]

There are only a few keyboard layouts. The language specific are usually just changes in key symbols. You can usually just change the keyboard layout in Windows. Then apply the appropriate keyboard stickers or skin. If a skin is available.

4K Laptops are out of your budget

The Lenovo Ideapad 530s 15.6" will likely be the best option in your budget. Compared to the other models I looked at in your price range. All the others I checked were so far behind. I didn't bother with a second best brand.

• The screen is nice and bright.
• The keyboard is firm and springy but a bit shallow. Good for the price range.
• Battery life is excellent about 7-8 hours normal office use
• Color gamut is about average for the price range.
• The SSD speed is well above the category average.
• It runs a bit warm to the touch. But that is with the MX150. I'd expect cooler temps with the MX130 or Integrated Graphics only options.
• The case is compact and sturdy for the screen size and price range.
• WiFi and SD card reader are about average for the budget.

With MX130 Graphics
https://www.ivory.co.il/catalog.php?id=27439

With Integrated Graphics
https://www.ivory.co.il/catalog.php?id=27454

Reviews
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...0U-MX150-WQHD-IPS-Laptop-Review.316662.0.html (Note this review is with MX150 and 2560x1440 display)

https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-530s (Note this review is for Integrated Graphics and 1920x1080 IPS Display. It is better for knowing the display quality. The notebookcheck gives a more detailed breakdown for other parts held in common)

 

[yehiambenshushan]

4K Laptops are out of your budget

Oh, man, I meant that the laptop will be able to run youtube videos that are 4k / 60 fps
not that the screen of the laptop will be 4k
sorry for not explain that. but in the 8250U page on Intel's website, it says that it supports 4k

and by the way, what do you think about those:
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=56941 (i7-8550U and fingerprint reader)
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=69845
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=62097&select=.268..271..2174..2185..2183..5274..1793

מחשב נייד Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5584-82658G25IS3Y - צבע כסוף

מחשב נייד Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5584-82658G25IS3Y - צבע כסוף למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

.

מחשב נייד HP Laptop 15-DW0001NJ / 7DK20EA - צבע כסוף

מחשב נייד HP Laptop 15-DW0001NJ / 7DK20EA - צבע כסוף למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

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מחשב נייד Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15IWL 81N800FHIV - צבע שחור

מחשב נייד Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15IWL 81N800FHIV - צבע שחור למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

.

מחשב נייד Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15IWL 81N800FHIV - צבע שחור

מחשב נייד Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15IWL 81N800FHIV - צבע שחור למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

.

מחשב נייד Asus Laptop X543UB-DM1050 - צבע כסוף

מחשב נייד Asus Laptop X543UB-DM1050 - צבע כסוף למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

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does it necessary to but a laptop with an additional graphic card? the onboard chip won't do the job?
the i7 will not be the better choice when it comes to handling with a lot of tasks and programing and of course to be "future proof" ?

 

[velocityg4]

Oh, man, I meant that the laptop will be able to run youtube videos that are 4k / 60 fps
not that the screen of the laptop will be 4k
sorry for not explain that. but in the 8250U page on Intel's website, it says that it supports 4k

and by the way, what do you think about those:
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=56941 (i7-8550U and fingerprint reader)
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=62097&select=.268..271..2174..2185..2183..5274..1793

מחשב נייד Asus Laptop X543UB-DM1050 - צבע כסוף

מחשב נייד Asus Laptop X543UB-DM1050 - צבע כסוף למכירה ברשת קי.אס.פי. מחשבים וסלולר.

ksp.co.il

.

does it necessary to but a laptop with an additional graphic card? the onboard chip won't do the job?

Integrated graphics is fine for your uses.

There are no pro reviews from detailed sources I normally use of the ASUS X512 series. From what I can tell it is an upgraded budget model. Which means impressive looking specs while cheaping out on other parts.

Based on what I can find. Without detailed measurements from a pro reviewer. These are mere impressions.

• The battery capacity capacity is about 20% less.
• The keyboard is spongy.
• The case has flex.
• The screen is dull.

It's not really comparable to the 530s. Which I wouldn't expect. Since the 530s had an original entry price of around $750 while the X512 has an entry price of around $400. They're going to have a different class of components.

 

[yehiambenshushan]

Integrated graphics is fine for your uses.

There are no pro reviews from detailed sources I normally use of the ASUS X512 series. From what I can tell it is an upgraded budget model. Which means impressive looking specs while cheaping out on other parts.

Based on what I can find. Without detailed measurements from a pro reviewer. These are mere impressions.

• The battery capacity capacity is about 20% less.
• The keyboard is spongy.
• The case has flex.
• The screen is dull.

It's not really comparable to the 530s. Which I wouldn't expect. Since the 530s had an original entry price of around $750 while the X512 has an entry price of around $400. They're going to have a different class of components.

so what do you say about the links in my previous comment?
and what about the i7?

 

[velocityg4]

Since you wanted 15". I'd get this 530s from your list.
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=56941

 

[yehiambenshushan]

Since you wanted 15". I'd get this 530s from your list.
https://ksp.co.il/?uin=56941

I watched some reviews about this model, all said that the battery barely hold 5 hours and the screen isn't good as it seems

 

[velocityg4]

I watched some reviews about this model, all said that the battery barely hold 5 hours and the screen isn't good as it seems

Both the reviews I linked show the battery life in the seven to eight hour range. The display is brightness is 255 nits. Which is brighter than the other laptops on that website I found reviews for.

I'm not saying it is a great laptop. It is just better than the other choices available to you. Based on the available data.

 

[yehiambenshushan]

Both the reviews I linked show the battery life in the seven to eight hour range. The display is brightness is 255 nits. Which is brighter than the other laptops on that website I found reviews for.

I'm not saying it is a great laptop. It is just better than the other choices available to you. Based on the available data.

What do you think about this one: https://ksp.co.il/?uin=68471&select=

 

[yehiambenshushan]

Both the reviews I linked show the battery life in the seven to eight hour range. The display is brightness is 255 nits. Which is brighter than the other laptops on that website I found reviews for.

I'm not saying it is a great laptop. It is just better than the other choices available to you. Based on the available data.

What do you think about this one: https://ksp.co.il/?uin=68471&select=

 

[Deleted member 14196]

I watched some reviews about this model, all said that the battery barely hold 5 hours and the screen isn't good as it seems

you want you cake and to eat it too. you can't have FAST and POWERFUL without bad battery life. sorry. I would get an AMD Ryzen based laptop myself as you will appreciate it's greater power for multi-threading when you are running visual studio. i7 is a complete waste of time, money and resources.

have a read here.
https://www.windowscentral.com/best-amd-ryzen-laptops

 

[Deleted member 14196]

my choice for powerful/fast? it uses REAL desktop parts. but of course battery will be an issue, but only if you are running it hard.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predato...g=wpcentralb-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUdUnU65987YYwYg

Lenovo has great AMD slim laptops that should serve you well, have good battery life, etc..

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Conve...sor-Graphics/dp/B07PB5M8DS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

if you are going to be gaming, you probably do want a gaming laptop, but if it's just for school, you can get much less expensive and still good laptops.

 

[velocityg4]

What do you think about this one: https://ksp.co.il/?uin=68471&select=

The 300 series is the entry level Ideapad line. The 500 series is the midrange line.

They are decent entry level laptops. As it is one generation newer it does have some advantages. It also has some disadvantages.

• Screen is noticeably dimmer and covers less of the Adobe sRGB color space.
• The keyboard is softer.
• The case is a cheaper build quality but a big improvement over the S330 but susceptible to bending.
• WiFi is a little faster
• SD Card Reader is faster
• SSD is much faster
• The overall surface temperature under load is about 4 C higher
• Battery life is slightly less under regular load*
• Mildly slower CPU (comparing i5-8265u vs i7-8550u models)

It really depends on what you want to focus on. Speed or quality.

* Please note with battery life. This measurement varies wildly by reviewers test methodology. Therefore I'm depending on a review source which has tested an s530 and s340. Which puts them at about 6.5 and 6 hours respectively under normal load. Depending on your use the laptop can last an hour or twelve hours. For regular school, office, web browsing and video playback at moderate brightness. I would expect these to run 6 to 8 hours.

 

[yehiambenshushan]

The 300 series is the entry level Ideapad line. The 500 series is the midrange line.

They are decent entry level laptops. As it is one generation newer it does have some advantages.

So you are saying that the s340 have some advantages over the s530 but the s530 is much higher quality in terms of build quality?

 

[velocityg4]

So you are saying that the s340 have some advantages over the s530 but the s530 is much higher quality in terms of build quality?

Yes. The case, keyboard and monitor being the notable improvements of the S530. As the S340 is a year newer it got newer parts. The most noteworthy being the SSD. It also has a newer CPU but the older i7 beats the newer i5.

Unfortunately if you don't try lots of different laptops. You don't really know the difference build and screen quality make in daily use. They're all fast enough. Speed wise you likely won't notice much difference between any of the laptops you listed. As I recall they were all at least 7th Gen i5 (quad core), 8GB RAM and 250GB SSD. But a better built laptop is more comfortable to use. The cream of the crop being something like a Thinkpad X1 Carbon or T490s.

 

[yehiambenshushan]

Yes. The case, keyboard and monitor being the notable improvements of the S530. As the S340 is a year newer it got newer parts. The most noteworthy being the SSD. It also has a newer CPU but the older i7 beats the newer i5.

Unfortunately if you don't try lots of different laptops. You don't really know the difference build and screen quality make in daily use. They're all fast enough. Speed wise you likely won't notice much difference between any of the laptops you listed. As I recall they were all at least 7th Gen i5 (quad core), 8GB RAM and 250GB SSD. But a better built laptop is more comfortable to use. The cream of the crop being something like a Thinkpad X1 Carbon or T490s.

Okay so I keep it in my mind that the 340 is newer but the 530 is better.
And if it won't be any of those laptops, from the links I gave in the thread what will be your next pick?

 

[velocityg4]

Okay so I keep it in my mind that the 340 is newer but the 530 is better.
And if it won't be any of those laptops, from the links I gave in the thread what will be your next pick?

I don't have any. I didn't see anything else I liked nearly as much for your requirements and budget on those websites.

 

[yehiambenshushan]

I don't have any. I didn't see anything else I liked nearly as much for your requirements and budget on those websites.

and your opinion about the E490?
the version with the i5

 

[velocityg4]

I didn't notice this option. If the Lenovov Thinkpad E490 is an option. It's certainly a great one. In fact the only drawback compared to the Ideapad S530 is the display doesn't have the color range. Otherwise it is totally dominant.

Slightly Faster SSD
Superior battery life (about 20% more)
Decent display (Slightly brighter, much higher PWM frequency making for less eye strain, excellent contrast, mediocre color)
Double WiFi speed
very firm case
Extremely nice keyboard
keyboard area stays cooler
Newer CPU

 

[yehiambenshushan]

I didn't notice this option. If the Lenovo Thinkpad E490 is an option. It's certainly a great one. In fact, the only drawback compared to the Ideapad S530 is the display doesn't have the color range. Otherwise, it is totally dominant.

Slightly Faster SSD
Superior battery life (about 20% more)
Decent display (Slightly brighter, much higher PWM frequency making for less eye strain, excellent contrast, mediocre color)
Double WiFi speed
very firm case
Extremely nice keyboard
keyboard area stays cooler
Newer CPU

Okay look, there are those laptops (get down to view the specs):
1. https://ksp.co.il/?uin=56941 (this is the one that makes me confused, it has i7-8550U and GeForce® MX150 which should be better than the others)

2. https://ksp.co.il/index.php?uin=70752&select=.432.

and there is this version of the E490:
3. https://www.pc365.co.il/product-190...MI45Ojr6O-5AIVkeF3Ch0kwQW4EAQYASABEgJ41_D_BwE

my only concerns are the size, as you can see the E490 have 14' screen compare to the 15.6 above.
another disadvantage (which are not deal-breaker but just sucks) is that the E490 doesn't have a fingerprint scanner, backlit keyboard and overall it seems very old and boxy with no modern features. so I'll be happy if you can explain why the E490 is better (while it has the same specs as the laptops I gave give or take)

 

[velocityg4]

1. Yea it's the fastest.

2. That one has the extended battery option. A massive 70Whr battery (the 48Whr is good for about 8 hours in the review so this thing must last over 12). The S540 is the latest gen S500 series. They improved the PWM to 352hz from 190hz. Color gamut suffered though and it has noticeable backlight bleed. The SSD, SD card reader and WiFi are greatly improved and on par with the E490. The case and keyboard are firm but not as firm as the E490. The surface also gets pretty warm.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...-the-choice-and-we-compare-both.427167.0.html

3. Well the E490 has USB 3.1 Gen 2 the others have Gen 1. It also supports Displayport through the USB C port. Making it the only one which can deliver 4K@60Hz to an external display. It also uses USB Type C for charging. So, you could plug it into a charging dock via one port to connect to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, ethernet, external hard drive, &c.

It has the brighter and higher contrast display with high PWM (1,250Hz). PWM is pulse width modulation. PWM is used when lowering the screen brightness. Basically it is rapidly flicked on/off to reduce power usage and brightness. Lower PWM displays can cause headaches and eye strain when the brightness is turned down. Very high PWM displays are less likely to cause these issues. PWM isn't present at full brightness.

The design aesthetic is purposeful. Yea it looks old and boxy. It is a Thinkpad trademark. People see that and know it is a Thinkpad. Some love it and some hate it.

The fingerprint reader and illuminated keyboard are available in higher end options. This one has the fingerprint reader still no illuminated keyboard. It also includes Windows 10 Pro. The cheaper one you listed does not have Windows included as well as the no frills options for a barebones price. For those who want a well built laptop for a cheap as possible.
https://www.pc365.co.il/product-19077-Lenovo_ThinkPad_E490_20N8000RIV_יבואן_רשמי_במלאי

 

[yehiambenshushan]

1. Yea it's the fastest.

2. That one has the extended battery option. A massive 70Whr battery (the 48Whr is good for about 8 hours in the review so this thing must last over 12). The S540 is the latest gen S500 series. They improved the PWM to 352hz from 190hz. Color gamut suffered though and it has noticeable backlight bleed. The SSD, SD card reader, and WiFi are greatly improved and on par with the E490. The case and keyboard are firm but not as firm as the E490. The surface also gets pretty warm.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...-the-choice-and-we-compare-both.427167.0.html

3. Well the E490 has USB 3.1 Gen 2 the others have Gen 1. It also supports Displayport through the USB C port. Making it the only one which can deliver 4K@60Hz to an external display. It also uses USB Type C for charging. So, you could plug it into a charging dock via one port to connect to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, ethernet, external hard drive, &c.

It has the brighter and higher contrast display with high PWM (1,250Hz). PWM is pulse width modulation. PWM is used when lowering the screen brightness. Basically it is rapidly flicked on/off to reduce power usage and brightness. Lower PWM displays can cause headaches and eye strain when the brightness is turned down. Very high PWM displays are less likely to cause these issues. PWM isn't present at full brightness.

The design aesthetic is purposeful. Yea it looks old and boxy. It is a Thinkpad trademark. People see that and know it is a Thinkpad. Some love it and some hate it.

The fingerprint reader and illuminated keyboard are available in higher end options. This one has the fingerprint reader still no illuminated keyboard. It also includes Windows 10 Pro. The cheaper one you listed does not have Windows included as well as the no frills options for a barebones price. For those who want a well built laptop for a cheap as possible.
https://www.pc365.co.il/product-19077-Lenovo_ThinkPad_E490_20N8000RIV_יבואן_רשמי_במלאי

I'm still confused, forgive me.
wouldn't be better to go with #1? bottom line it has faster CPU and the benefits of the GPU card, also the fingerprint reader and you can agree with me that it looks pretty good, compared to the E490 (I think it also slimmer)

but from what you wrote, the S540 is also great
so why everybody still recommends the E490?
I really just want to understand how it can be better if it has no advantages over the others.
Look, I'm a real newbie when it comes to laptops, never had one before. so I just want to make sure I buy the right and the best laptop I can get

 

[yehiambenshushan]

I'm still confused, forgive me.
wouldn't be better to go with #1? bottom line it has faster CPU and the benefits of the GPU card, also the fingerprint reader and you can agree with me that it looks pretty good, compared to the E490 (I think it also slimmer)

but from what you wrote, the S540 is also great
so why everybody still recommends the E490?
I really just want to understand how it can be better if it has no advantages over the others.
Look, I'm a real newbie when it comes to laptops, never had one before. so I just want to make sure I buy the right and the best laptop I can get

anybody?